Wolfsbane
by Zeldagirl367
Summary: Eager to prove herself, Cacie leaves Ordon and joins the Hyrule Resistance, hoping to solve some of the problems caused by the usurper. Unfortunately, she finds herself continually running into the one person she hates most – and begins to realize that what she's involved herself in is a lot bigger than she originally thought. Rated M for language and adult situations. TWO OCs.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N****: **Hi everyone! Yes, I've started another fic. For my current readers of Sky Child, I was having some writer's block and the next chapter isn't done yet, which is why I didn't post last week. Sorry! I will definitely post it on the coming Thursday.

Anyway, this fic is a little more mature than Sky Child, so beware. Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

"Urgh, dumbass! Get your lazy goddamn butt off the floor and do some work!"

I reached for the nearest object, which happened to be a pair of shears, and hurled them at Link's head. He narrowly dodged. "The hell? Are you _trying _to kill me?"

"Sadly, no," I snapped back. "Though I imagine the ranch wouldn't be all that different without you, would it? You were supposed to go and feed the horses _an hour ago_. They're probably all dying of hunger now."

"I don't think they're –"

"Would you just _go and do it like I asked you to an hour ago?_"

My hand went for another object, this time a shovel, and Link scrambled off the floor and slipped out the door before I could grab it.

I let out a huff of air. He was _useless. _

I let my arm fall to my side and went to the back stall of the barn to grab the water bucket inside. It was almost evening, I told myself – almost time to go home and be rid of The Daydreaming Wonder for the day. My parents would be horrified if they knew just how awful I was around him, but he frustrated me and I couldn't help it. You ask him to do something, and he either doesn't hear you or forgets in the next five minutes. It was a wonder he could even take care of himself.

Carrying the bucket outside, I dumped the excess water and went to the pump to refill it. The goats were still out, too. I was going to have to get Link to help me herd them all back inside. Fado couldn't do it, since he had an uncanny knack for making the animals hate him. Before that, though, Link was going to have to get Epona back from Ilia…

Oh, right. I had forgotten to tell him that Ilia had made off with his horse again. I doubted she had told him herself. It was her pathetic attempt at trying to get Link's attention, but I let her do it – mostly because it meant he'd have to go all the way out to the spring in the woods before he could finish work, which would annoy him. Annoying him was fun.

Unfortunately, I was sure he thought the same of me. I carried the full bucket back into the stall and set it down, wiping the rust off on my pants.

"Cacie." I turned – Link was back again, keeping his distance this time. He looked puzzled. "Where's Epona?"

"Ilia took her to the spring a little while ago," I said. "Hurry up and get her back. I want to go home."

His shoulders dropped. "Oh." He turned, but then paused. "By the way, I'm not here tomorrow, so you're on your own."

"I know," I said, then added, "not like it'll be any different."

"Yeah." He hadn't been listening to my insult. That was annoying. "I'll be right back."

"Try not to make moon eyes at each other for too long," I muttered.

"What's that?"

Damn, not listening again. I sighed. "Never mind. Go."

The door swung shut behind him, and I went to saddle up my own horse. Fado walked in just as I was starting to lead her out of the barn. "Oh, perfect timing. You headed to put the goats away?"

"Yeah." I blew a strand of straw-colored hair from my face. "Link had to go extract his horse from his girlfriend, though. He'll be back in a few minutes. I hope."

Fado nodded. "I'll tell you what. I'll have him do it when he gets back, and you head on home. He has the day off tomorrow, so you'll be working hard anyway."

Ah, Fado. Way to make a good thing sound like a bad one. "Okay," I agreed, handing the reins of the horse off to him. "Thanks."

I didn't meet Link coming down the path to the village, so I assumed he was still off flirting with Ilia. That made me feel awfully sorry for Ilia, even though I knew she didn't mind.

Mom was sitting out on the porch with her knitting needles, working around her swollen belly. She smiled, as I leaned over to give her a kiss. "Finished work already?"

"Yup. Is Dad home?"

"Yes, he's inside."

I went into the house to find Dad on the couch with Colin, helping him paint what looked like a rudimentary fishing rod. "Hey, I'm home."

Dad glanced up. "Cacie, you're home early."

Colin grinned at me. "Hi, Cacie!"

I frowned. "What are you working on?"

"It's a fishing rod!" Colin burst out, grinning. "I made it!"

"With help, I assume." I glanced at Dad, who winked. Colin brought it over to show me.

"You can't touch, because the paint's not dry yet," he said. "But I think it looks really good."

"It does," I agreed. "Looks like you're almost ready to use it, too."

"Oh, it's not for me," Colin explained. "I made it for Link."

The smile dropped right off my face. "Oh." I couldn't contain an eyeroll.

Colin's face, on the other hand, lit right up. "I have an idea...why don't _you _give it to him?"

"No thanks," I deadpanned. As if I didn't find Link annoying enough already, my little brother was obsessed with the guy. What's more, when Colin found out that Link and I worked together, he became stuck on the idea that we should be a couple; a thought that could make me laugh for ten minutes straight.

It wasn't just him, either. Most of the kids in the village really had a thing for Link. I could not, for the life of me, imagine why.

Colin looked a bit disappointed, but quickly got over it as he went back to putting the finishing touches on the rod. Dad stood up. "Speaking of Link, Cacie, you should know I won't be leaving for Hyrule the day after next after all. I've asked Link to go in my place."

"What?" I furrowed my brow, and my stomach started to twist. "Wh...why?"

Dad shrugged, wandering over to the kitchen. "I'm a bit old to be going all the way out there, is all, and Link is trustworthy, plus he's never been to the city before, so I just thought it would be a good experience for him."

I stared at the floor for a moment before I replied. "Uh-huh," I mumbled.

"Something wrong?"

"No…" I looked away. "Nothing's wrong." I let out a breath. "I think...I'm gonna go out for a bit."

"All right. Make sure you're home before dark."

I whipped around, pulling open the door and striding right past Mom and walking down the hill. It was a good thing no one tried to talk to me, because I might have punched someone.

I held it in until I had gone pretty deep into the forest, where I was sure no one was around, and then I sat down and let the tears fall from my eyes.

I had known Dad was thinking about passing off the trip to Hyrule to someone else, and...of course I had known that he probably wouldn't pass it to me. Why would he? I was just a girl, after all, I couldn't really use a sword, and, as he always put it whenever I asked him to take me somewhere lately, he needed me to "stay home and take care of your mother".

I just…

I put my head down. Well, geez, I don't know! I thought that _maybe _Dad would choose his daughter over some orphan kid who couldn't even remember a simple task like "go feed the horses". Stupid of me, I guess. Link was pretty close with my dad. It made sense to ask him, of course. He could ride well, and he was good at defending himself…

I could do those things, too. I wasn't _as _great with a sword, mostly because Dad had never really bothered to give me any proper instruction, but I was tough enough to handle it, I thought. Damn it to hell. Damn it to fucking hell.

Okay, I'd had some time to cry and feel sorry for myself, and now it was time to stop. I sat up and wiped my eyes, slowly getting to my feet. Not a big deal, right? This wasn't the end of the world. I had to remember that.

I started back for the village, taking a few deep breaths. _Just you wait. I'll prove myself, someday. Someday soon._

* * *

"Cacie, wake up! You gotta wake up!"

Colin shook me awake at an absurdly early hour, hissing urgently in my ear. I moaned and rolled over. "What do you want?"

His face was pale. "Ah...it's…" He swallowed. "I-I promised I wouldn't tell, but…"

"_What_?"

"Talo went running into the woods!" he said finally. "He went all the way across the bridge, even though he's not supposed to, and we can't find him anywhere, and –"

"Colin," I groaned, turning over. "I'm sure he's fine. He's not _very _stupid, so I doubt he's lost."

"No, Cacie," Colin continued to shake me. "You don't understand. There have been monsters in the woods lately. Dad said so."

I sighed. "Why don't you go ask your role model for help?" I grumbled.

Colin was quiet for a second. "Link already went into the woods after him," he said. "But I'm scared. He's still not back yet."

My slowly waking mind was beginning to tell me that this actually sounded kind of serious. I turned back over to face him. "Well, what do you want me to do?"

"Can't you go and find him?"

I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously. "Is this part of your plan to get us together?"

He shook his head vigorously. "No! I'm really scared, Cacie! And Talo will be mad if I tell one of the grown-ups…"

"Colin, I have to work today, I don't have time for this…" Even as it came out of my mouth I knew it was a flimsy excuse. Sighing, I pulled myself out of bed, smoothing out my hair. "Fine...let me go get a horse from the ranch…"

"Okay...don't wake up Mom and Dad though!"

I quickly got myself dressed and went down to the ranch. Fado was here already, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. He always liked to get there early.

He blinked in surprise when he saw me. "Cacie, you're here awfully early."

"I need to borrow a horse." I sighed. "And I might be late to work. Colin is upset because Link and Talo went running off into the woods, apparently. It sounds like they might really be in trouble."

Fado's eyes got a little wider. "Into the woods? You know...there's been some strange stuff lurking up there recently…" He glanced back towards the barn. "All right...be back as soon as you can. And be careful up there."

"Yeah, yeah." I waved a hand and went to saddle up a horse, then took off trotting towards the woods. Link's house was just outside the outskirts, and then there was a bridge across the chasm into the deep woods, where these monsters had apparently been showing up. Colin was waiting for me just on the threshold, where the grass started to take over the path.

"Can I go with you?" he asked.

I frowned at him. "Um, no? Weren't you the one wailing at me about monsters and such out there?"

"Yeah, but…" he scuffed his foot in the dirt. "I'm worried...I want to help, too…"

I shook my head. "No...you should stay behind. We need you to let Dad know if we're still not back in a bit, yeah? You're the only kid around here with any sense, after all. Beth and Malo certainly won't do it."

"Oh…" Colin looked disappointed. The only reason I gave the excuse was out of courtesy – I knew he could see right through it. "Yeah...okay."

I smiled. "I'll see you soon, buddy. I'm sure it's nothing serious."

I gave the horse a nudge and started down the path, trotting across the bridge and between the big boulders of land that followed. I hadn't been back here in a while, but it certainly didn't feel the way I remembered it. Everything felt very sinister. Sent shivers down my spine. Even the horse seemed to sense that something was wrong and hesitated to keep moving forward. It took some cooing and careful coaxing.

All of the calming I did for the horse was completely wasted when Epona came busting out of the trees, snorting and bucking a bit. My horse went up on its rears and I had to cling to the reins. "Hey! Hey!"

Epona trotted in a circle, hooves kneading at the ground. I frowned, sliding off my horse, and stroking her mane a bit before starting towards Epona, holding out both of my hands. "Whoa...easy…"

I put my hand on her nose, and she snorted again. My stomach was churning. I hadn't _really _thought anything serious could've happened, but...there was no way Link would have abandoned his horse on purpose…

Well, now what? I gently ran a hand down Epona's neck. Now I had two horses to look after, neither of which really wanted to be here right now. I didn't have time to take them back to the ranch, not with this sense of urgency prodding me…

Geez, that fucking idiot. What had he gotten himself into now?


	2. Chapter 2

I decided to just press on, keeping a hold of both horses' reins. I was pretty sure there was some crazy hippie who lived up here, somewhere. I'd never met him, but I'd heard about him. Supposedly he served as a gatekeeper. I figured I could ask him about Link and Talo; he had to have seen one or the other, right?

I came upon his hut pretty soon, and found the guy sitting right outside in front of a large pot. He had big, bushy hair, and there was legit a bird's nest in it. Seriously. I was a little afraid to approach him but made myself do it, clearing my throat to get his attention.

"Wah!" he jumped, nearly falling off his log. "Hey! You startled me!"

"Erm, sorry," I said, unable to take my eyes off that nest. " Look, I was just wondering if you'd seen anyone else come through here?"

"Oh, yeah," he said, nodding. "A boy your age was here not that long ago."

"Blonde hair? Pointy ears? Funny mark on the back of his hand?" _And a stupid face, _I wanted to add.

The guy nodded. "That's the one." He paused. "And I think that's his horse, too." He nodded at Epona.

"Oh." I glanced at Epona as well. "They were together when you saw them?"

"Yeah." He frowned. "Guy wanted to get through the cave over there, but the horse wouldn't go. He had to leave her behind."

Despite myself, I felt a small tinge of relief. Okay, so he hadn't been thrown from the horse in some horrific accident. I knew that much now, at least. "That one just ahead?" I asked.

The guy frowned. "Ah, not you too?"

"Yes, me too," I sighed. "I just want to make sure he's not doing anything stupid. Thanks, though."

"Hey," he called, and I turned back around. "Your horses aren't going through there."

I had thought I could try to coax them through, but he seemed very sure. I paused. "Oh, um…"

"You can leave them here with me, if you really have to go through," he said. Clearly, he recognized the look I was giving him, because he added, "you can trust me, no worries. I'm a vegetarian."

_Yeah, good, I really thought you were going to eat the horses if I left them here… _Although, looking at him, it suddenly didn't seem all that far-fetched. I sighed. "Okay...thank you."

"Hey, I have an idea," the guy said. "How about, as a thank you, you buy some lantern oil from me?"

"Er...I don't have a lantern," I said, leading the horses over to a tree and starting to fasten the reins around the trunk.

"A-ha," he said. "That's why I'm giving away free lanterns, pre-filled!"

I knotted off the reins. "If it's already filled, then why would I buy oil from you…?"

"Well, because…" He trailed off. I raised an eyebrow, and he reached up to scratch his head. "Oh...that's a good point."

"Hm…" I turned. "I'll pass."

"You sure? It's dark in there."

"I have good night vision," I called back, heading towards the cave.

I regretted not taking him up on it. It really was dark in there, but several torches had been lit along the way. Another sign that Link had been here before me, I guess.

I picked up a big stick and stuck it into one of the burning flames to make myself a light. Holding it out in front of me, I was greeted by the opening of several pairs of tiny yellow eyes. My lips parted and I took in a breath. _Shit._

I had enough time to duck before the bats dropped from the ceiling and swooped towards the flame. I dropped the stick, covering my head. Something sliced into my hand, and the uncovered part of the back of my neck, and I started swatting. Why were these bats so aggressive?

I started running blindly forward, making for the faint light I could see glowing ahead. There was another torch lit, and by the time I reached it the bats had gone. I let out a breath. Maybe Colin was right. These woods were really strange today…

I made it out of the cave within a few minutes, though I moved slowly since I didn't dare trying to light myself another torch and finally came to the clearing, where I was greeted by the sight of several horrific monsters patrolling the area.

I froze for a second and then quickly ducked and hid behind a tree. I had certainly never seen _those _before. What were they called again? I tried to remember. Bokoblins, I think it was. That sounded right. Dad had mentioned them once or twice, and from what he'd told me, he'd always cut them down with ease.

Unfortunately, I hadn't thought to bring myself a weapon. I resisted the urge to smack myself upside the head. What the hell was wrong with me? Who goes wandering into the monster-infested woods without a single way to defend themselves? Me, apparently. I sighed. It would be smart if I just turned back before any of them saw me.

But I hadn't found Link yet, I remembered. I ground my teeth. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking that idiot might have gotten himself into. And there was Talo to worry about as well. Couldn't help wondering what might have become of them…

I peeked out from behind my tree. The Bokoblins didn't seem to have noticed me yet. I took a deep breath. Okay, in that case, I'd just have to maneuver around them. I could probably do that, right?

I ducked out from behind my tree and ran behind another one. Although, this was going to get me nowhere fast. I wasn't really entirely sure where I was going. I swallowed and turned to peek out into the clearing again.

All at once, a hand came down over my mouth and another arm yanked me backwards. Startled, I shrieked a little and jabbed my elbow backwards, catching someone's ribcage. There was a grunt of pain that followed – one that sounded oddly familiar. I turned around.

"Link?" I hissed. He was doubled over, holding his arms against his ribs. Beneath my relief, there was inevitable annoyance. He really was okay, then. What had I come all the way out here for?

He looked up, swallowing, and then motioned me towards the trees behind him. I followed. "What are you doing here?" he asked, whipping around when it was safe to talk.

I gritted my teeth. "What am I doing here?" I repeated. "What does it _look _like I'm doing? My stupid brother was worried about you, so I came to make sure you weren't getting yourself killed."

Link furrowed his brow. "I can take care of myself, you know."

"I know!" I snapped. My fists clenched into balls. "I…" I couldn't think of a witty comeback for that. I did know that he could handle himself. Wait a second. Why the hell had I agreed to do this? "U...ugh," I growled, turning around. "Just forget it. If you're fine, I'm leaving."

"Wait." He grabbed my arm. I instinctively tried to jerk away, almost disgusted by his touch, but he didn't let go. "I'm not letting you go back alone."

"Excuse me?" I ripped my arm away from him.

"It's dangerous. You saw, the place is crawling with Bokoblins, and you can't defend yourself."

"I can defend myself _just fine_," I snarled. "I don't need your goddamn help."

"Cacie, do you think you might be able to swallow your pride for a second and just let me protect you?"

I whipped around and without meaning to, my hand whipped out and smacked his cheek. He flinched and looked at me in surprise. "Shut the fuck up," I growled. "I don't need you to get out of here, and I don't need you to protect me. I only came as a favor to my brother, and since you're very clearly still alive, _I'm going_, and you'd better not try to fucking stop me."

He stared at me, eyes wide, and didn't seem to have a response. I turned on my heel and started to go again, heading back towards the entrance of the cave.

"_Cacie_!"

Suddenly I was on the ground, and I vaguely registered the sound of air swishing above me, and then a thud of something hitting the tree beside me. I looked up to see a stray arrow embedded in the bark.

Oh, great. That meant…

"Still think you can make it through here by yourself?" Link hissed in my ear.

My cheeks began to burn. This was the worst. I was going to clobber Colin over the head when I got home for this. I shoved Link off of me and quickly got up, scowling. "Fuck you," I muttered, watching for more arrows, but we must have passed out of the Bokoblin's view when we dropped to the ground.

"Most people might say 'thank you'," Link grumbled, getting to as feet as well. "But I suppose that works as well."

"Whatever," I said. "I haven't come that far anyway. I just have to go back through the cave and get the horses. Way to go on irresponsibly abandoning your steed, by the way. Real chivalrous move."

"You know what else was a chivalrous move?" he retorted. "_Saving your life _just now. Have you already forgotten about that?"

Gods damn it, I hated myself already for letting him do that. I took a slow breath. "Okay, fine, you want a thank-you?" I raised my arm and gave him an over-dramatic mock bow. "Thank you humbly, kind sir, for so graciously shoving me to the ground and protecting me from the measly arrow that might have otherwise scratched my ear." I stood straight. "Happy now?"

"Not really, but I guess I'll take it." He sighed. "Cacie, just come with me, all right? I need to find Talo, and I don't have time to escort you back to Ordon."

"I don't _need _you to escort me!" I snapped, but then paused. "What do you mean, you need to find Talo? That kid is still missing?"

"Yes, he's still missing," Link said. "I've been looking around, but I've got a bad feeling one of the Bokoblins might have snagged him."

I picked at my nail. Hmm, so it really was kind of serious, then. I hated to think about what could happen to that kid, even though he _was _constantly picking on my brother. "What are you gonna do if you don't find him?"

"I'll find him," he replied, clenching his jaw. "We'll find him. Because you're coming with me."

"I'm not going with you."

"Cacie, please. I don't want you to get hurt either."

I laughed out loud. "Oh, right, that's a good one. What do you care if I die?"

Link was quiet for a second, and gave me a strange look. I met his gaze for a few seconds, and then looked away. "I mean...not that I'm _going _to die. It's seriously just through the cave. I'll be fine."

He looked at the ground. "You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," I said, getting some of the snap back into my voice. "I'm sure I'd just get in your way, since you're ever so adept with that stick of wood hanging at your side."

"It's a sword."

"Made of wood."

"So?" His face flushed a little. "It's still a sword. I've already taken down a few Bokoblins with it. It works."

"I'm sure," I replied. "Let me know when it breaks in half. I'll want to say 'I told you so'."

* * *

I made it back through the cave without angering any more aggressive bats and brought the horses back out of the woods, letting Colin know that Link was doing fine before I took them back to the ranch.

I was already an hour late, so Fado had me work even harder to make up for it. The end of the day had me sweating and panting, and I got back into town just in time to see Talo running across the bridge to meet his father and brother. I raised my eyebrows in surprise. I guess that meant Link had made it back okay?

I went to take a peek at his house and saw him talking with my dad in the clearing. He looked perfectly unscathed. Damn. What a bastard.

I went to bed that night, still really pissed that I had let him push me to the ground like that.


	3. Chapter 3

I spent about twenty minutes the next morning searching for my bandana, but it was mostly stalling so I could put off having to see Link. I was still embarrassed, I guess, even though he was the one who'd been an asshole about the whole thing in the woods. Colin found it for me, expecting gratitude, no doubt, but instead I just gave him an annoyed look. Well, I'd make it up to him later.

I tied my hair back and dragged myself up to the ranch, where Link was already there letting the goats out into the field. "Hey," he grunted at me as I walked by.

"You're alive, then," I remarked, going past him to fetch the bag of grain.

"Yes."

I didn't say anything else, hauling the bag into the stalls to refill the feeding bins.

"You too," he said, when I walked past him again.

I stopped. "What?"

"You're alive, too."

"Oh." I rolled my eyes. "Yes, shocking that I was able to make my way through one measly cave without injury."

"Well." Link shrugged. "I'm glad."

He kept walking. I was frozen to the spot. What the hell was that supposed to mean? "I'm glad"? I glared at the back of his head.

We didn't talk much for the rest of the morning, and I didn't see much of Link either. That I was grateful of; I was even beginning to enjoy doing my separate chores when I spotted Link lying out in the grass among the goats, hands behind his head, staring at the sky.

I dropped whatever I was working on and marched over, looking forward to giving him a good stomp in the gut. He saw me coming, however, and quickly rolled over, protecting his stomach and cringing away from me. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Er...nothing?"

The response angered me more. "Don't you think you should be doing _something_?"

"Hey, Link!"

I turned. Fado was calling from the other end of the ranch, jogging towards us. Link sat up. "Hey," Fado said, once he'd reached us. "It's nearly time for you to go, isn't it?"

Link stood up. "Yeah, I guess it is."

I blinked in confusion, but then remembered – today was the day he left to take the ceremonial sword to Hyrule. The task that he had inadvertently stolen from me. I pressed my lips into a line.

Fado put an arm around my shoulders, jerking me closer. "You be careful out there," he said. "We wish you the best. Don't we, Cacie?"

Link and I met eyes for a second, and then I glared at the ground, jerking away. "Speak for yourself," I muttered, turning to stomp off.

* * *

Link took Epona and left soon after, giving me the ranch mostly to myself. It felt good to have the quiet, and not having to worry about running into a slacking Link who I'd need to tell off.

So yeah, it was nice. For a bit. Until we heard the screams.

I thought I might be imagining them at first, but then Fado came bursting into the barn, eyes wide, asking me if I heard what he heard.

I bolted down the path to the village and the screams steadily got louder, as did the sounds of two swords clanking. I turned the corner in time to see my dad meeting the blade of one of those monsters, not a Bokoblin, but some other kind that was dressed like a thief. Many of them were riding giant pig-bull things that rampaged the village and broke the bridges. The screams filled my ears.

"Dad!" I shrieked, but my voice was lost. My breathing got heavier. _Colin. _Where was Colin? Where was Mom? Were they safe?

Dad went for a killing blow, but the monster caught him in the head. My scream joined the chorus of others and I ran forward without a thought.

My face stung, and red started to drip into my eyes, but I was too focused on trying to drag Dad away from the fray. The monsters were coming at me now, with axes, curves swords, spears…

I couldn't breathe. My hand grasped for something and found the hilt of Dad's sword, on the ground beside him. I lifted it with some effort and stood up, holding it out in front of me.

The monsters were advancing, showing no signs of wavering. Their axes looked suddenly gigantic. I felt small and worthless before them but I drew the sword back with a shaking arm anyway and swung, somehow missing the axe and catching the thing right in the stomach.

I had never killed anything before. The flesh crunched under the impact of the sword, the metal biting in and holding fast as blood seeped over silver. I began to feel sick. It required a good tug before I could get it out, and had to swing again. This time I bounced off the handle of an axe and fell backwards to the ground beside my father, heavily bleeding and unconscious.

It loomed over me and I was positive that I was done for. But instead of bringing down the axe, it reached towards me and grabbed my left wrist.

I gasped as it yanked my hand close to its face, examined it for a moment, then abruptly let go and turned away to swing an axe at someone else.

Panting, I scrambled for the sword again and then grabbed Dad under the arms to try and drag him towards the house. Tears were mixing with blood, and my breath was coming shallower and shallower.

I heard footsteps behind me and twisted around in a panic, but it was only the thundering feet of Mayor Bo. He pushed me out of the way and scooped Dad off the ground, throwing him easily over a burly shoulder. "Get inside!" he told me, running towards my house.

I felt frozen, though, and going inside did not sound appealing. I was left there, standing in the midst of screams and panic, with a sword in my hand and fear and anger rolling together into a dangerous combination inside me.

I turned around, shaking. There was another one of those monsters, trying to break down the door of one of the houses. My hand clenched around the hilt. It didn't feel heavy anymore.

I felt like I was in a daze and shot forward, drawing the blade across its neck in one quick swipe. I turned around and there was another one. I took him out too. And then another one. A fourth. I couldn't believe that I hadn't been killed yet, but I was moving too fast for my own mind to even register.

I heard a girl scream somewhere to my left and turned to see Beth cornered by the cliffside. I started running, but there was no way I could have been fast enough – I watched the thing scoop her up and throw her onto the back of that pig-bull steed, heedless to her screaming and protesting.

I drew the sword back to attack but my luck ran out and I was knocked out of the way. My vision went dark for a moment and I hit the ground. I opened my eyes again and they had gone.

I got up, dizzy, and staggered towards my house. I had to find Colin. I had to find Mom. Mom and the baby…

As I dragged myself up the hill, I started to recognize that the screaming I was hearing came from my mom, and the name she was saying was barely intelligible; "_Colin_! _Colin_!"

My heart jumped into my throat. No, no, no, not Colin. Where was Colin? My head swiveled, but I hadn't seen him at all since I'd gotten here. Dad was laying out on the porch, with Mayor Bo desperately trying to bandage his head.

And I stood there, tears dripping and mixing with blood falling down my face, as my entire life fell apart at my feet.

* * *

The attack subsided, but all the children were gone.

I had seen Beth get abducted, but Malo and Talo were gone as well. No one had seen Colin at the time of the attack, but Mom thought he might have been playing in the woods. That meant he would have been taken as well. We had searched the woods and both springs, and found no sign of any of them – though the gate to Ordon spring had been smashed to pieces. No one could find Ilia either, and Mayor Bo told me that she had gone running off the the spring with Epona before Link was able to leave.

So she was gone too. And, according to Mayor Bo, Link had gone after her, so we could only assume he'd been taken as well.

Mom couldn't stop sobbing. Dad was still unconscious, but Mayor Bo said it wasn't very serious; nothing bandaging and some rest couldn't fix.

I was one of the ones who searched the woods, and I was the last to give up. I regretted every mean word I'd ever said to my little brother, every time I'd snapped at him, even not letting him come with me into the woods. I couldn't sleep that night.

The entire village was collectively miserable the whole day. I didn't go to work; Fado told me not to bother. I was glad of that. Dad was awake the next day as well, though still shaky on his feet.

I spent the whole afternoon in the forest, searching the spring and the area surrounding, to no avail. There was no sign of my brother, or even of Link and Ilia. I had checked every inch of ground. Nothing.

I sank to the ground, feeling heavy. What was the point? Colin was gone. I didn't know what those monsters had done with him, but I was beginning to think already that he wouldn't be coming back. Even if he was still alive, he was out there, alone in a world he'd never seen. I had to be realistic about this. Colin wasn't exactly made of tough stuff. At this rate, if he didn't find his way back soon…

I realized that I was clenching my knees so hard that I was leaving dents in my legs and quickly loosened my grip, but lowered my head all the same. Mom had refused to eat all day, and with Dad not feeling well, I was going to have to be the mature one in the family for a while...I had been holding back on tears all day. But now I needed to let them out. Just for a few minutes.

Something shifted in the bushes and my head snapped up, and thinking it might be someone from the village, I hurried to wipe the tears off my face.

What emerged from the foliage was not, however, a person.

A black and gray wolf stepped into the clearing, eyes fixed on me, and stopped. My breath caught in my throat. Gods, it was _huge_. I wanted to stand up and run, but I knew better than to make any sudden movements.

The wolf was unusual, I realized, with very clear blue eyes that remained locked on me, and strange designs on its back, almost as though they'd been painted on. It had broad shoulders, and on one of its front paws was a shackle, with the chain still attached.

I gulped. I was guessing it had been chained up for a reason. And the fact that it had escaped was probably not good.

Still, though, it wasn't growling or lunging. It was just standing very quietly, watching me.

Finally, I decided to make a move, very slowly starting to get to my feet. Suddenly it started towards me and I gasped, falling back onto the ground and flinching backwards before I realized that the movement wasn't aggressive. It padded towards me, chain clinking as it walked. I let out a shuddering breath. "H-hey…"

It approached, slowing down. Gingerly, I reached out a hand and let it sniff. "Oh…" I said out loud, when it didn't try to bite me. "You're...actually pretty tame, aren't you…"

Still hesitant, I put a hand on its head. The wolf didn't move, and let me stroke its fur. I couldn't help giggling. "I thought for sure you were one of those monsters come back…" I sighed, and rubbed behind an ear. The wolf leaned its head into my hand. "You're probably the nicest wolf I've ever met. I guess I've never met a wolf before."

I felt another tear slip out of my eye and quickly wiped it away, but I didn't know why. It was just a wolf, after all. It wasn't like it was judging me or anything.

Maybe it was the blue eyes. They were very...striking, very...human-like. "I wonder if you belong to someone," I muttered. "I don't see a collar or anything, though." I sighed and stood up. "I guess you cheered me up a little." I let out a heavy sigh. "You shouldn't let anyone at the village see you. Everyone's on edge, so you'll probably be skinned alive." I patted his head again. "Poor little guy. I hope you'll be okay out there."

I turned and started to head back for the village, thinking about how I was going to get Mom to eat dinner.


	4. Chapter 4

My house was pretty quiet, with Dad resting on the couch and Mom feverishly knitting out on the porch. I'd had to beg and remind her that she had to think about the baby, but she'd eaten some dinner, if not all of it. That was a small victory for me, I guess.

When night came, I heard Dad talking outside with some townspeople who were thinking about getting up a brigade to head out into Hyrule and ask after the kids. Dad wanted to go, of course, but with his head wound, he was most definitely forbidden. He had spent the better part of today cleaning the blood off the ceremonial sword, wiping it down good even after it was already pretty clean. I left him alone, mostly.

Around dark, he went to sit on the porch with Mom, and when I came out, he was talking about some noise he'd heard.

"It could be the children," he insisted. "What if they've returned?" He glanced down the hill, into the darkness. "I have to go and see…"

"Darling, please," Mom protested tiredly, standing up. "Your injuries!"

"Dad, maybe you should go back inside," I suggested, reaching for his arm.

Suddenly, he whirled around and pointed. "There! I heard it again!" He jumped down off the porch. I hadn't heard anything, but followed him down the hill.

"Dad, wait –"

"_Ah_!" he yelled. "Stay back, fiend!"

"What?" I ran to catch up with him, and found him waving his sword around at the same wolf from the forest before, which was standing a few feet away and shrinking back.

My eyes widened. "Dad, no!" I ran towards it, ducking when Dad tried to grab my arm.

"Cacie, get away from that thing!"

"Dad, it's okay!" I tried to tell him, kneeling down. The wolf didn't move as I approached, giving me that blue-eyed stare again. "He's really tame, see?"

"_That _is a monster!" Dad snarled. "You would defend that beast? After what happened yesterday? After your brother went missing, after these fiends did _this_ –" he pointed to his bandaged head, "– to your own father?"

Some other townsfolk had been drawn by the noise, and whispering started behind me. I could tell they were keeping their distance from the wolf. I put my arms around it. "I'm telling you, he's not a monster," I insisted. "He's just a regular wolf, don't you see?"

"I'd hardly call that thing regular," someone called out. "Look at those markings on its back!"

"It's one of the beasts that attacked the village," Dad said loudly enough for the others to hear. "And I'll finish it off before it claims another one of us!"

"No!" My voice raised to a level I had never dared use with my father before. I could feel this animal trembling in my arms, as though it understood what was happening. "He won't hurt anybody!"

"Cacie," Dad growled. "Get away from that thing and let me finish it off. _Now_." He spoke in a dangerously low tone, words forming slowly and clearly. I gulped.

"Please," I said, lowering my volume. "I understand that you're all scared, but you can't take it out on an innocent animal."

"I'm telling you, it's not innocent."

"And I'm telling _you_, it is!" I kept my hand on its head and stood up. "I'll take it back to the forest, if that's what you want. Far away. It won't come back."

"How can you be so sure?" Dad said. "Cacie, you are being unreasonable."

"I promise," I begged. "He's tame. He's got to belong to someone, I...I'm sure he's just lost." I looked down at the wolf. "If I take him back out to the woods, he should be able to find his way home."

Dad still looked unhappy. I swallowed, really hoping that the wolf wouldn't decide to suddenly lunge at someone and completely prove me wrong.

"Very well," a voice said from somewhere behind me, and I turned to see Mayor Bo pushing his way through the crowd. "I'd say that sounds fair." He looked around "This is a dark time for us all, but we can't go chopping off the head of every scapegoat that comes our way." He gave a pointed look at my father.

I let out a breath. "Thank you, Mayor."

He held up a hand. "However," he said. "If the wolf does in fact return, I shall have to permit it to be killed. Even if it isn't one of the monsters that attacked us, we still can't have a wolf terrorizing the livestock."

I swallowed and nodded. "Yes. I understand."

The Mayor turned. "Someone go and fetch Cacie a rope. Hurry, now."

One of the villagers returned with a length of hemp, and I quickly tied a loop before kneeling down to put it around the wolf's neck. It regarded me warily, curling back its lip a bit.

"It's okay," I whispered. "Really." Carefully, I let it fall over its head and left it fairly loose before I stood up, holding the remaining length in my hand. "Okay...come on…"

I gave the rope a little tug, and reluctantly, the wolf stood and started to follow me. I swallowed. Now I _knew _this guy belonged to someone. No wild animal would have stood for this…

I walked him up the path and back into the woods, but I decided it would be safest to bring him all the way across the bridge – just so there would be less chance of him wandering back into the village.

He was good and followed me the whole way, all the way until the edge of the bridge, where he abruptly sat down.

I turned to look at him. "Come on," I said, and gave the rope a little tug. The wolf remained sitting. I pulled harder, and it resisted, letting out a growl.

I stopped, startled. The wolf stood again and started pulling on _me_ to go the other direction. "No," I protested. "We have to go this way."

I tried again. He just _wouldn't go. _Finally I sat down on the edge of the bridge with a heavy sigh. "What's wrong with you? Now you're being annoying."

He was still trying to pull me, and even went behind me to try and push me away from the bridge. "Hey!" Geez, it was almost as if he didn't _want_ me to go across the bridge...

I shook my head. No, that was silly. But still...

I stood up again. "Okay, come on," I told him.

The wolf yanked on the rope even harder, enough for me to stumble forward. I had to use all of my weight to pull back. The wolf stopped pulling and let me fall backwards.

"Ugh!" I got to my feet, having the strange feeling that inside it was laughing at me. "Fine!" I exclaimed. "Get skinned by the villagers, then. What do I care?"

I whipped around. Now I was mad at a wolf. Great. I looked across the bridge. Seriously, what was its problem with crossing the bridge?

I started across, letting the rope fall. I didn't know why I was trying so hard to spite an animal, but its behavior was irking me now.

I heard whining behind me and the bridge shook. I turned. _Oh, now you want to follow me? _The wolf raced past me and stood in my path, having gone from growling to whining piteously. "What the…?"

I stared down at it. This was really weird. The wolf really was trying to tell me something, it seemed like. I looked ahead. He obviously had no problem crossing this bridge – it was me he didn't want going over.

Why? My curiosity was too much to resist. I continued past it, ignoring the yelps and whines. As I drew closer to the end of the bridge shivers and goosebumps began to run up and down my arms. I stepped back onto the grass.

In a last attempt to stop me, the wolf closed its jaws around the end of my pants, still whining. I glanced back at it and shook it off.

I went between the two boulders again, peering carefully around the corner, and froze where I was.

My mouth fell open. The path to the forest was blocked completely by an enormous black wall, covered in shimmering golden designs. It looked almost like it might be intangible, the edges moving and shifting like they weren't really there. The wolf padded over to stand beside me, and I looked down at it. _He knew it was here…_

But what _was _it? I started towards it, trying to ignore the plethora of bumps and hairs rising all over my arms. How did a thing like this get here?

I paused directly in front of it. It made a soft humming sound. It was scary, to be sure, but also strangely beautiful. I slowly reached out a hand to touch it.

The wolf ran and skidded around in front of me, barking to make me step back in alarm. It lowered its ears and growled. Well, that was as clear of a warning as any. _Don't touch it. _

I swallowed. "You're...not an ordinary wolf, are you?" I said softly.

It stared steadily back at me. Had Dad been right about it after all? Was it in league with the monsters who had attacked the village, stolen my little brother away? After all, it clearly had something to do with this giant thing blocking the way to the forest...was it dangerous, I wondered? Was that why the wolf wouldn't let me touch it? Would it be able to hurt any of us back in Ordon?

The wolf relaxed and took a step towards me, lifting its head. I put my hand out to pat it without thinking. "What are you?" I asked.

Of course, it gave no answer.

* * *

The wolf did not follow me when I went back to the village, and instead sat in front of the black wall and just watched me go. I returned to the village and told everyone that everything was fine.

I had reasoned that would be the best thing to do. I would cause a panic if I ran in screaming about a giant magic wall. I might have told Dad, but he was still angry with me about the wolf, and I didn't think Mom could handle any more bad news right now.

The next morning, I awoke to find Dad in a complete frenzy. "The sword," he said, when I asked him what was wrong. "Where is the sword? The one for Hyrule! We need it!"

"No one's taken it, Dad."

"It's not here!" he snapped. "Help me look for it!"

I did, but it was nowhere in the house. We asked around the village, too, but no one had seen it.

Dad was fuming. I tried to console him. "Dad, it doesn't matter," I said. "This isn't exactly the time to be worrying about something like that…"

"Of course it matters!" He threw my hand off his shoulder. His face looked flushed, and his hand felt hot.

I swallowed. "Dad, you're not feeling well," I said.

He whipped around and grabbed my arm. "I don't need my daughter telling me how I feel," he snarled. His hand burned.

I tried to stay calm. _Be the mature one. _"Dad," I said softly. "Your head is hurt. You need to lie down. You can't be getting yourself worked up like this."

I saw his jaw clench, but after a second, he let out a breath, and let me lead him back to the house.

* * *

I couldn't resist, and I went back into the forest that evening. I had to see the wall again. I really wanted to just put my hand out, see if it was tangible or if it hurt me or what…

But when I crossed the bridge and went between the boulders, before me was only the bright green of the forest ahead. I stopped. No wall. Almost like it had just been some fantastical dream.


	5. Chapter 5

The next few days passed in mostly silence, with no word of the children. There had been other attacks and kidnappings across Hyrule, apparently, and according to news we were hearing from messengers and whatnot, the kingdom had been completely overtaken by some kind of strange, monster tyrant.

Dad was slowly getting better, and once he was well enough to walk around, he started going out into the woods to train with the sword. He returned only at sundown, sweating and red-faced.

I stepped out onto the porch one night and found Dad and Mom sitting on the end, talking in low, serious voices. I paused. I didn't mean to eavesdrop; I wasn't an eavesdropper, by any means, but the air of the conversation hit me and I felt like I had to stay rooted to the ground.

"They're looking for able swordsmen," Dad was saying to Mom. "I'm going to be leaving to find them in a couple of days."

_Find who? _Again, I felt like I should leave them alone, but stayed where I was.

Mom nodded. "I still wish you wouldn't go."

He put a hand on Mom's shoulder. "I can't sit here and be idle while the world suffers. You know how I am. And there's a chance I could find something that would lead me to Colin…" He let out a breath. "The Hyrule Resistance is our only chance at finding our son."

_The Hyrule Resistance? _

Suddenly, Dad turned his head and caught me standing there, then whipped around. "Cacie? How long have you…"

"You're leaving," I flatlined.

Mom turned as well, and Dad began to look uncomfortable. "Cacie…"

"You are, aren't you?" I swallowed. "You're going to Hyrule."

He stood up, sighing. "There's a small resistance movement building up. Very small, but it's all there is. I'm going to join."

I stared at the both of them. Yes, that was what I'd thought. In reality, I should have known that my dad would leave, try to play the hero and search for Colin. It was very predictable. But…

"I want to come," I said, without pausing to think about it.

Dad blinked at me. "Cacie…"

"I want to come," I repeated. "I want to join the Hyrule Resistance too."

Mom and Dad stared at me silently for a few moments before Dad gave the inevitable response. "Cacie, no," he said. "You can't. It could be dangerous. Plus, I need you to stay here and take care of your mother."

"Mom has an entire village to take care of her," I said, looking at the ground. "I want to come. I want to do something too."

He shook his head, giving me a look that was vaguely like pity. "I don't think you understand, Cacie, you'd need to be able to wield a weapon, and –"

"Don't patronize me," I interrupted, firming my tone. "I understand perfectly well. And I can wield a sword, well enough to be able to learn the basics quickly."

"You _cannot _wield a sword," Dad insisted.

"You never bothered to show me, true, but I learned to hold it by myself. I'm not proficient, but I can swing it." He tried to argue, and once again I cut him off. "Did you know that it was _me _who saved your life when the monsters attacked the village, Dad? That _I _was the one who took your sword when you fell and fought the monsters off of you? Did you know that?"

Mom and Dad exchanged another look. Dad was beginning to look more and more discomfited. "I…"

"I'll do exactly as you tell me, and I won't argue with you," I said, desperately trying to make my case more appealing. "I just want to help."

I closed my mouth, and racked my brains to see if there was anything else I could say. Nope. I had gotten it all out. Just had to wait for the verdict.

Dad was quiet. For a second, I thought he might still say no. I even thought he might yell at me for defying him like that.

Finally, he cracked a smile. "You are most definitely my daughter," he said. "I will give you that."

"Then…?"

"You have yourself a deal." He held out his hand. "We get up at dawn tomorrow to prepare. Make sure you get some rest."

* * *

The triumph, though small compared to the havoc being wreaked in the kingdom right now, was the greatest I had ever achieved, and I allowed myself to bask in it for a full night before buckling down and getting serious.

Even though he'd already said yes, it was clear that I still had a lot to prove to my dad if he was ever going to consider me capable.

True to his word, he took me out into the woods at the crack of dawn and we started training. He handed me, much to my disappointment, a wooden sword much like the one Link had worn at his side in the forest. I frowned, and was going to protest, but remembered my promise not to argue and shut my mouth.

We started with the basics. Dad taught me proper fighting stances, grip, and the most rudimentary of defensive movements. When I had those down, we went to offensive movements.

I learned fast, as promised, and maybe it was my determination to show my father I could be an asset, but I felt that I'd worked harder in one day than I had in my whole life.

Sundown came. My clothes were drenched with sweat, and every muscle was beginning to ache, but Dad gave me a smile. "Good," he said. "Let's head back."

_Good. _The shred of praise made me beam.

My entire body hurt the next morning, but I ignored it and did my best to work just as hard as I had the day before. We practiced what Dad called "improvising" by having me stand and letting him throw rocks at me while I tried to dodge them. Eventually I grabbed the wooden sword and started whacking at them like baseballs.

The next day we started sparring. Dad said he'd go easy on me, but it didn't feel easy to me. By noon I had "died" over a hundred times, and was covered in bruises and cuts. "Those bruises are reminders," Dad informed me. "They remind you of how much you still have to learn."

I raised an eyebrow. "So when I get better at it, I'll stop having bruises?"

Dad laughed. "No one can ever be perfect," he said. "There will always be more to learn. There will always be bruises."

Still, I worked and worked, and at afternoon the next day when I brought the wooden sword down on Dad's, it snapped in half.

I stumbled forward, glancing down at the splintered piece of wood in my hand. Dad began to laugh.

"That," he said. "That means you're ready for a real blade."

* * *

Dad returned with two practice blades, made of iron. "The edges have been dulled," he assured me, when I looked uncertain. "The most injury you'll receive is a bigger bruise. Does it feel heavy?"

"Yes," I said, trying not to show the amount of difficulty I was having holding it up. "Kind of."

"Good. It will strengthen your arms." He looked me up and down. "Speaking of strength, it's time you chose a type."

"A type?"

Dad nodded. "There are two types of swordsmen," he told me. "There are strong ones, and there are fast ones. The strong ones are big and use heavy broadswords, and their blows carry enough force to knock you over. But they're slow. Fast ones use lightweight weapons, like rapiers, and are fast enough to dodge and make quick successive blows – however, they are not as strong." A faint smile passed his mouth. "Which do you think is best?"

That was easy. "Speed," I said, with certainty.

"Why?"

"Because…" I thought. "Because, it doesn't matter how strong you are. If you can't dodge a killing blow, you're still going to die."

Dad beamed. "That's correct." He raised his sword. "So, you should still be putting enough force behind your blows, but you should be watching your opponent as well – try to anticipate the next move, and try to start dodging before that move is even made. You have to be fast. You have to think on your toes. Understand?"

I gave a short nod, but I was doubting how fast I could be while lugging around this heavy sword. Dad assumed the fighting stance. "Then let's begin."

Holding up the iron blade made my arms ache, but my blows fell harder for sure, and Dad said at the end of the day that I was already very light on my feet.

I was up early and ready to go the next morning, but Dad said I could have a break today. "You need a chance to rest," he told me. "You don't want to strain yourself out practicing so hard."

Elation fired in my chest at the acknowledgment that I'd been working hard, and even though Dad had told me to rest, I couldn't wait. I went out to the woods by myself to do some practicing, determined to impress him even more tomorrow.

Dad had been making me practice with both hands, because he said it was most convenient for any swordsman to be ambidextrous, so I practiced all the basic moves he'd shown me with each hand, then moved to the two-handed ones. I was so focused that I didn't even hear the footsteps approaching.

"Cacie?"

I jumped and whirled around, cheeks going red in embarrassment, but the color quickly faded when I saw who it was standing in front of me. My mouth dropped. "_Link_?"

It was him, plain as day, though he was dressed differently. He was giving me a puzzled look, but I was too struck by awe to notice. "What...hey, where the hell have you been? We thought the monsters got you!"

"Yeah…" Link rubbed the back of his neck. "It's kind of a long story."

"Why are you dressed like that?"

Link looked down at himself. He was completely decked out in green, complete with an oddly-shaped hat and brown riding boots. I frowned. "You look weird."

"Uh-huh," he muttered, obviously not paying attention. "How is everything? Back at the village? Is everyone okay?"

"Don't try to change the subject!" I complained, stepping towards him. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Like I said." He turned back to me. "It's a long story."

I scowled. "You might be dressed differently, but I see you're still a jackass."

"Hey…" Much to my surprise, he smiled at the insult. "You won't be so mean to me after you hear the good news I have for you."

"Good news?" I raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"I've been around, the past couple of days," he said. "And, well, it's your brother. He's okay."

"What?" My heart fluttered. "Y-you saw Colin?"

Link nodded. "He's safe and sound, in Kakariko Village. So are the rest of the kids."

For a brief moment, I almost considered hugging him.


	6. Chapter 6

The news was met with rejoicing when Link told the rest of the village, and the blanket of misery was lifted from almost every house.

Unfortunately, this was true for everyone except Mayor Bo. After talking to my parents about Colin and the others Link had admitted, reluctantly, that he had not found Ilia.

I felt bad, but if Colin and the other kids were okay, there was a good chance she would be too, right? My dad said as much.

Of course, I was completely ecstatic, and totally relieved. Mom was even eating well again. But overall, my feelings were mixed, because this also meant I had to deal with Link strutting around the village like some glorious hero.

I mean, yeah, he ensured the safety of the kids, my brother included, and that was great. But he didn't have to be so cocky about it. Whenever someone asked what had happened to him, he just gave the same answer: "It's a long story" and changed the subject to one of the other heroic deeds that he'd accomplished in the past few days.

When he was talking to my dad about the things he'd seen and done, Dad looked so impressed that I was half-afraid he would ditch me and take Link to join the Hyrule Resistance instead.

That didn't happen, thankfully, but still I'd gone from feeling strong and proud for learning a fair amount of swordplay in just a few days to feeling very small in comparison to his supposed achievements.

I got sick of him quick, needless to say, and went back to the forest to continue practicing, though this time it was more in anger than in determination.

Unfortunately, I was interrupted again when he passed through the clearing once more. "Still practicing?" he asked, as he walked by.

I stopped and glared, blowing a strand of hair that had escaped my bandana. "Where the hell are you going?" I asked.

He looked uncomfortable. "I have some things to do."

"Seriously?" I frowned. "Not that I want you to stay, but you just got here like an hour ago. You're just going to waltz out?"

"I told you, I have things to do."

Suddenly, I noticed something. "Hey, wait a second," I said, stepping towards him. "Where did you get that sword? That's..." My eyes widened. "Isn't that the sword that was supposed to go to Hyrule?"

He began to look uncomfortable. "Yeah, I um..."

"How did you get that?" I raised a suspicious eyebrow. "It went missing a couple days ago, and all of the sudden you have it?"

"I came across some Bulbins who had it," he explained. "I got it back from them, and...like you said, a wooden sword isn't the best thing for fighting monsters, so..."

I scowled. "So you just decided to take it?"

"I explained it to your father already. He said it was all right for me to use it." He quickly turned away. "Anyway, like I said, I have things to take care of."

"What things?" I demanded.

"None of your business."

He continued down the path, and I clenched my fists. What a dick. My feet began moving after him, almost entirely of their own accord. "Hey!" I called. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Are you following me?" He turned.

"No, Link, I'm still back at the clearing."

"Cacie, I told you, it's none of your business."

"For the love of Eldin, stop acting so high and mighty!" I snapped. "You're a _farm hand, _remember? You don't _have _any business worth keeping a secret."

He flinched a little, but then straightened his expression and let out a sigh. "I do now."

Again he turned and left me. I was left there, shaking in rage for no apparent reason. Something about this was infuriating me. I almost considered following him silently to see what he was up to, but in annoyance decided that he was just acting like an asshole and that it wasn't worth it.

I went home a few minutes after that to rest like I was supposed to, which was a mistake. Walking back into that house meant having to hear more about what a great guy Link was, which frankly, made me want to puke. Gods, I had only managed to keep my Dad's attention for a few days before Link had shown up and shoved me out of the limelight.

I suppose I should feel at least a little more grateful to him for finding Colin. But it was hard to show gratitude for such an asshole. If it had been anyone else at all...

I tried to just forget about it, and focused on my sword studies the following morning. Around mid-afternoon, Dad told me that I was ready enough. "Really?" I scoffed at the notion. "I still feel like pretty much like an amateur..."

"You are," he said bluntly. "But you'll learn along the way. You know enough, I think. We'll leave tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," I repeated hazily. It suddenly felt like a dream. Tomorrow we were riding off to Hyrule to join the fight against a tyrant. It was going to be my first time even venturing out of the forest. I'd never even been all that deep into Faron woods before…

We both went to bed early and got up to ready the horses and the supplies. Mom had been mostly quiet about this whole thing, never once expressing her opinion of our plan during my sword training, but this morning, she took my arms and pulled me into an embrace. "I'm proud of you, Cacie," she told me.

After goodbyes and kisses had been exchanged, Dad and I mounted the horses and rode off into the woods.

My stomach was churning as we walked across the bridge, remembering the beautiful black wall that had stood on the other side just for that one night. Actually, I wasn't even sure if that had been real or just a dream anymore, since all trace of it had vanished so quickly. The behavior I remembered from the wolf made me unsure as well, since I was finding it hard to believe that an animal had actually been trying to prevent me from going near this wall, whatever it was.

Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that it had been completely real, and that there was something sinister about it that would no doubt come to haunt me. Or worse yet, it would come to haunt the entirety of Hyrule.

But there was no wall as we crossed the bridge and trotted into the woods. I followed Dad in silence as he led us back to where the bird-nest man lived.

The guy was leery about it, but he eventually let us through the other gate he was in charge of, the one that stood in front of the path we were travelling. Anxiety was slowly replaced with excitement as Dad pushed open the gate and gave his horse a nudge in the side.

The trees dispersed suddenly and gave way to tall, swishing grass and an open field that extended too far ahead to see the end of. Right away we were set upon by Bokoblins, and I hesitated, but Dad plowed the horse straight past them, easily trampling those that got in the way. I kicked my horse and tried to do the same.

The ride was altogether uneventful, as we were mostly alone out on the field save for a few monsters. I found that with the sword training and the horses, they were easy to either ride right over or strike down as I went past. So, not exactly as much of a threat as they were previously.

By evening, the point of the castle was visible, but the sky around it was beginning to look...strange. It was an odd color, to start, a strange, eerie yellow, and the air moved in a strange, wavy and zig-zagged way. I felt like maybe it was nighttime, just over there, when in reality the sun hadn't set yet.

Dad regarded the sky with some level of chagrin, but then grunted, "we keep going," and spurred his horse forward. I went after him.

"Heeeeyyyy!"

A voice called out to us and I turned, pulling my horse to a stop. Dad did the same. In the distance was the first person besides ourselves we'd seen out here all day; a small, skinny man wearing short pants and a red cap came towards us from down the path, huffing and puffing as he came. "Go no further!" he warned us. "The path ahead is blocked by a gigantic black wall!"

"A black wall?" I gasped. _Could it be…? _

"Wall?" My dad scrunched his brow. "I don't think…"

"Where?" I interrupted. "Just up the path? Right over here?"

"Yes, that's right – hey, where are you going?"

"_Yah!"_ I spurred my horse forward and started galloping down the path, clenching the reins tighter. I heard Dad shout after me but I kept going, chest suddenly turning to fire. I can't say exactly what it was pushing me onward, but for some reason I felt as though if I didn't hurry to see the wall and confirm that what had happened before wasn't a dream, it would disappear as quickly as the first.

I sped around the cliffside and the horse skidded to a halt of its own accord, rearing into the air. I clung to the reins and shushed, trying to calm it.

There it was, the very same black wall; I was totally sure of it. I slid down off of my horse, lips parting as I stepped towards it. The golden designs shimmered enticingly.

I heard hoofsteps, and my dad came around the corner as well. His horse stopped and stepped nervously backwards snorting. He said nothing, and I heard him hit the ground.

I went closer. I felt like it was drawing me. I wanted to touch it, even though the wolf had seemed to think it was a bad idea. I just wanted to see what it felt like…

When I was close enough, I pressed my hand flat against it. It was very much solid, much to my disappointment, but a strange buzz was translated down my arm, and I began to feel cold. Dad seemed to notice then. "Cacie, get away from there."

I pulled my hand away and stepped back, looking up. It seemed to reach all the way to the sky. "Now what?" I asked. "This is the path we were going to take, yes?"

"Right…"

"Surely there's another way?" I turned to look at Dad. He was staring up at the monstrous black wall thoughtfully.

"Y...yes," he said, after a moment, and then sighed. "Yes, there is another path we can take, though it will take us longer to go around that way." He swallowed. "Gods...it's even worse than I thought…"

I turned to him in question, but he didn't explain his thoughts. He went back to the horse and took it by the reins to lead it away before remounting. "Anyway, we'll have to cover as much ground as we can before dark."

I was reluctant to tear myself away but did, following suit and pulling my horse away from the black wall.

We rode across the field until it was too dark for the horses to see anymore, and then stopped beneath a large tree to eat and rest. Dad said no fire, since it would attract monsters, which I agreed with.

So, there was no fire. Instead, we had our incredible bad luck to draw the monsters towards us.

We planned to take turns keeping watch, and just before the end of mine, when I was just barely keeping from nodding off, they were upon us. They moved unusually stealthily for Bokoblins, seeing as those things were usually screaming and waving whatever weapon they had, but I didn't notice the first one until it was far too late.

I lunged for my sword and Dad sat bolt upright, scrambling for his as well, but he was unprepared. I couldn't get to him fast enough and the sword slashed him across the chest, sending blood spurting.

My breath stopped in my throat and I swung at the Bokoblin's neck, chopping it clean off, and then dodging a blow from the next one and dealing his killing blow as well. Before it fell, it yanked a horn from its belt and blew.

The sound bellowed and echoed across the field and I winced, gritting my teeth and giving the Bokoblin one last good stab as it fell to the ground. Dad was heaving, clutching both arms to his chest, and I ran to him.

He waved a hand. "Go," he rasped. "Leave me. There will be more of them."

My mouth fell open, forehead twisting in shock and just a little bit of rage, but I told myself that I couldn't blame him for telling me to do such a thing. "I'm not leaving without you," I said, grabbing his arm and pulling it around my shoulders. "We'll get to the horses and find a village."

"There is no village for miles...we won't outrun them…"

I heard snarling and footsteps over the hill. I dragged Dad towards his horse, but he was making no effort to assist. "Dad!" I pleaded.

"I can't make it," he said. "I'm too slow. Go, Cacie."

"Ah…" I glanced at the hill, squinting in the darkness, and swallowed, setting my jaw. "Okay. You get on your horse and ride for Ordon. I'll draw them away from you."

Dad turned to me with a look. "Cacie…"

"It's your best chance at surviving right now, okay?" I broke him off. "I am begging you, Dad. Please."

He winced in pain, still trying to hold blood in his body. "I...very well," he agreed hastily, gasping for breath. "Draw them away, and then outrun them as quickly as you can. Continue to Hyrule without me. I swear I will meet you there in a few days."

"I'll be waiting," I assured him, pulling him to his horse.

It took him a few moments to mount, and by that time, one cluster of Bokoblins was already pounding for us. I gave his horse a slap on the rear to get it going, then hopped up onto my own steed and raced straight for the horde.

"Hey, dumbasses!" I shouted. "Over here!" I waved my arms, then stuck both fingers in my mouth and gave a whistle. In the dark, I made out several heads turning, and I took a deep breath. "Catch me if you can!"


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **In this chapter, I'll be introducing my second OC...hooray!

Also, for my readers of Sky Child, I'm SO SORRY that I haven't updated that in forever. I've been kind of stuck. :-/ I'm going to put the next chapter of that up later today, and I'll try to have another one up on Thursday too!

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

Outsmarting the Bokoblins enough to draw them all away from my father was easy enough, but outrunning them was difficult.

They were persistent, and even above the thudding hooves of the horse I could hear their massive footsteps after me for what seemed like quite some time. I was totally out of breath, spurring the horse on over and over when she started to slow down. She snorted at me in complaint. I felt bad for pushing her, but I didn't think I'd last against an entire horde of Bokoblins…

Suddenly horseshoe struck something hard and the horse tilted forward, skidding and throwing me right out of the saddle. I hit the ground hard, knocking the wind from my lungs. Vaguely I could hear my horse neighing, but I was more concerned about the sounds of the Bokoblins still after me. I tried to get up, but my legs wouldn't move. I felt dizzy. Faintly, the back of my head began to ache. _Did I hit my head? _I lolled it from side to side. _I must have...hit my head…_

The sky was going fuzzy, and somewhere in my mind I was thinking, _no, no, I can't, not now, not here, _but the fuzziness took it over and sent me reeling into darkness.

* * *

I awoke to again, darkness. I spent all of two minutes trying to figure out how to open my eyes before I realized that they _were _open, and the reason I couldn't see was because there was something over them.

Stirring, I felt tall grass brush my cheek as a gentle gust settled across the field. Something was itching at my nose – most likely, I thought, the thing that was covering my eyes. Frowning, I reached up to try and pull it off.

The palm of my hand brushed something cold and sharp, enough to make me jerk back. "No," a voice said. "Move your hands again, and I'll cut them off."

The voice sent my breath out of control, but I swallowed and tried to keep calm. Bokoblins couldn't talk, so at least this meant I hadn't been captured by them. I'd clearly been captured by someone else. That was...er...better than being caught by Bokoblins? I guess?

"Sit up," the voice commanded. "Slowly."

Swallowing, I pushed myself up. I was definitely still in Hyrule Field, at least. "Wh-why can't I see you?" I asked. I was appalled to hear how much my voice was shaking.

"Because I don't want you to," it answered. The voice was definitely male, and deep, though I had a suspicion that whoever it was was disguising his voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Huh?" I swallowed again. "I...my dad and I were in our way to Hyrule, but...Dad got injured and had to turn back." I remembered Dad suddenly with a jolt, and wondered if he'd made it back okay. What if I hadn't been able to draw all the Bokoblins away? What if there had been a few stray ones who had gone after him…

The voice interrupted my thoughts. "You were going to Hyrule?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"Why?"

I paused. I didn't know who this person was. I couldn't just come right out and say that we were going to join a resistance movement against the overtakers of the castle; for all I knew, this guy might be one of them, or someone who worked for them. My mind raced to come up with a different excuse, but I was totally drawing a blank. "Uhm…"

I felt the tip of the sword press against my neck. "_Tell me_."

"I-it's...it's none of your business," was what ended up coming out of my mouth. I quickly shut it, heart pounding. _I can't believe I just said that to a guy who threatened to cut my hands off. _

He was silent for several long moments, and much to my relief, I felt the sword move away from my throat. "What did you see?"

"What did I…" I frowned. "I-I don't know what you mean…"

"You were on your way to Hyrule, weren't you? What did you see?"

Did he mean...? "Er...are you talking about the wall?"

Again, he was quiet for a few long moments. "You saw a wall as well?"

His tone changed suddenly, to something less threatening and more conversational. I nodded. "Yes..."

"When?"

"Uhm...just before Father was injured..." I suddenly realized that I didn't know what time it was, exactly. "Excuse me, but...is it still night, or..."

"No. It's morning."

"Then that was yesterday," I said, reassured.

There was another long pause. My stomach churned. "Impossible," he said gruffly. "I saw the wall, and it took me days to reach this spot from there."

Dread formed in the pit of my stomach. "Which direction did you come from?"

"West."

My heart sank. "Ah..."

He seemed to guess what I had just realized. "You are going to tell me that you came from the east?"

"Y...yes."

"So you are saying, both paths are blocked by these walls."

"Yes..."

I heard a heavy sigh, and suddenly, felt a gloved hand close around my arm. "Stand up."

He didn't leave me much choice, yanking me to my feet before I could try to stand on my own. "W-wait...!" He was dragging me now, impervious to my resistance. I reached with my free hand towards the blindfold. "Can I at least –"

He grabbed my arm and shoved it down. "No."

I heard the whinny of a horse just in front of me, and the hand came off of my arm. _Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! _Was he going to make me get on the horse? I instinctively took a step back. "Where are we going?"

"Come on." He grunted, and I felt hands on my waist. I twisted to try and get away but I was pulled easily onto the back of the horse. "You won't be harmed."

"Th-that's not what I'm worried about…"

"Hold on to me."

"Where are we going?"

"I said to hold on."

"_Where are we going?_"

"You wanted to go to Hyrule, didn't you?" There were a few clinks and rustling of saddlebags. "That's where I'm headed, as well. We'll go together. Hyrule is the center of the field, after all. There are other ways to get there besides east and west."

Why did he suddenly sound so friendly? "I don't like this."

"I don't care."

"Let me down."

"No."

"Why won't you let me see you?"

"_Because_ –" Friendliness was dropped, and the voice was threatening again. "I _don't _want you to."

My breath shuddered as it came out. This was unsettling, obviously, but honestly, I didn't have much to lose. I didn't entirely know the way to Hyrule on my own, so in a way this was convenient. Even if I was being, you know, sort of kidnapped.

Another whinny from the horse reminded me. "Ah...what happened to my horse?" I asked.

"Didn't make it," the man grunted. My heart twisted at that, but I frowned.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "She just tripped on a rock, was all…"

"The leg was broken," the voice informed me.

"B-but...a horse doesn't die from a broken leg…"

"I know. I put it out of its misery."

"What?" This time I could feel rage creeping into my throat. "You did _what_?"

"A horse is of no use with a broken leg."

"You had no right!" My voice rose. "She's an animal, she had feelings, she had...you had no right to do that!"

I wanted to punch him, but I had a feeling that would just make him even more angry. He didn't sound angry at me now, though; he just sighed, with something like exasperation. "I saved your life, girl. Be grateful for that."

The horse started moving, and I was forced to hold onto his waist. He felt slender, but he'd lifted me easily and had a strong grip, so I thought it was safe to assume that he could overpower me in an instant if he wanted to. "What about my sword?" I asked. "Can I have that back?"

"No."

Now I was pissed. "Who are you?" I demanded. "And what the fuck is your problem? Is this your plan? To just drag me around like a fucking prisoner?" There was a silence that was too long to fit my level of patience. "Answer me, shithead!"

I regretted shouting, but I only heard him chuckle a bit. "That's quite the foul mouth," he remarked. "Especially for such a beautiful girl."

The beginning of a syllable came out of my mouth before I closed it. Well. _That's definitely not the kind of response I expected…_

For a split second I was flattered, and then I was ashamed of myself for being so shallow. I couldn't go all gooey for my kidnapper just because he had called me beautiful. Even if no one had ever said that to me before in my life.

The horse picked up speed, and I swallowed. Well, if we were going to be riding for a while, maybe I could find an opportunity to take the blindfold off, at least. Then I'd be able to see who I was dealing with...

The horse sped to a full on gallop, and I had to hold tighter. Wind rushed past my face and billowed against my clothes, and sent my breath reeling.

It took me a while to get my balance on the horse, but eventually I was able to lift one of my arms from his waist. He didn't seem to notice, and slowly, I lifted the blindfold off of my eyes.

My eyes blurred at the light, and I caught a glimpse of a mop of bluish-black hair bobbing in time with the horse's hooves in front of me. It fell elegantly to the nape of his neck, and it looked soft, giving me the urge to reach out and touch it.

I resisted, and quickly pulled the cloth back over my eyes before he turned around and saw me.

I did like that hair, though.

_Come on, Cacie, _I thought spitefully. _You should be trying to figure out a way to get away from this guy, not whether or not his face looks as nice as his ass does…_

_I wonder if it does, though…_

I kept sneaking peeks at the luxurious hair, as well as occasionally letting my eyes travel down to the ridges on his back and then sometimes even lower than that.

I saw it get a little dark and the horse slowed down, and the man lifted me off the horse and set me on the ground. "Er…" I swallowed. "When are you going to let me take this off?"

There was some more rustling. "I don't know. When I decide to."

How annoyingly vague. I swallowed. "What's your name?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business."

"B-but we're going to Hyrule together, aren't we?" I summoned some courage. "My name is Cacie. What will it hurt to tell me yours?"

Another very long, long pause. "Yanlil," he said finally. "My name is Yanlil."


	8. Chapter 8

Yanlil wouldn't let me take the blindfold off even though we'd stopped to rest, and so I had to sit and remain in the darkness. He didn't talk much; I thought that maybe, I could wait until he was asleep and then run away, or at least get a look at his face, but I heard him moving around the campsite the entire time. After a bit, I could also hear the crackling of a few flames near me, and I thought it was a little daring of him to have made a fire, but I didn't say anything.

Suddenly, I got the feeling he was hovering overme, and then his breath on my face. "I have food, if you're interested," he said.

I scowled. "What, you want to feed me now?"

"No. I'm sure you could manage to find your mouth without my help."

I blew at a strand of hair that was tickling my forehead. "No thanks. I'm not hungry."

"Suit yourself."

I heard him stand up and move away. I swallowed, trying to think. I had no way to know whether he was looking at me or not, but I couldn't just sit here and do whatever he told me to do.

Shifting, I swallowed, thinking about just going for it and ripping it off right then, but I wasn't brave enough to risk it. _Okay, _I thought. _Well, he's gotta sleep sometime, right? _

Yanlil, however, seemed to be incredibly talented at going a long amount of time _without _sleeping. We'd been riding and traveling all day, and soon enough, even I was beginning to feel tempted to doze off.

Finally, I heard him speak. "Are you not going to sleep?"

"I'm not tired," I lied.

"Not tired, not hungry…" Amusement tinged his voice. "You must be very sturdy."

I waited a beat. "Are you tired?" I asked, trying to sound conversational.

"Oh yes." I heard a yawn. "But I am no fool. I won't be sleeping until you do. Of course, I suppose you could always wake up in the night and remove your blindfold then, but I'll trust you." Dismay tinged my stomach, and turned to horror as he added: "Plus, the moment you see my face, I'll have to murder you."

"Wh-what?" I gasped. "Seriously?"

"You still want to take off the blindfold?"

"I-I…" I gulped. Shit. I guess this guy really did mean business. "I don't understand...why is it so important that I don't see your face?"

"Who knows? Perhaps I am extremely ugly, and I don't want such a beautiful face as yours to gaze upon it."

I felt a blush rise to my cheeks, but tried to force it back down, hoping he wouldn't notice. His chuckle told me that he had.

I was beginning to hate this guy.

"In any case," he said. "You should try to rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

* * *

Defiantly, I tried not to sleep, but before long I was leaning back on my elbows, and then on my back, and then I was nodding off. Yanlil was fairly quiet, and I didn't know if he was sleeping, or trying to trick me into thinking he was, just to see if I'd try to take off my blindfold.

I wasn't interested in removing the blindfold anymore. To be completely honest, I wasn't that interested in seeing his face, even. I just wanted out of here. I wanted to go back and find my dad, or at the very least continue onto Hyrule myself and weed out these people from Hyrule Resistance.

I had no intention of going with this guy tomorrow, I decided. I would find a way to escape him, definitely. Somehow.

_Haroooooooooo._

The sound of a Bulbin horn broke into my dreams and I blinked my eyes open, panicking for a moment as I forgot about the blindfold. Yanlil was already pulling me off the ground by my arms. "On your feet, quickly."

I felt him start steering me forward. "Wait," I hissed. "I can fight them too…!"

"Idiot," he growled. "We are not going to fight. We are going to run."

He was helping me up onto the back of his horse then, and before I knew it he jarred his horse on with a sharp _yah_. I clung to his waist in alarm, the wind rushing by me. I tried to listen, but all I could hear was the Bulbin horn repeating itself over and over, not seeming to get any further away. Chills ran up and down my spine. I was terrifyingly blind to what was happening, if we were about to be set upon or if we were beginning to lose them.

Something shot by my ear and made me shriek a little, and in front of me, Yanlil grunted in pain. Another soft swish of air on my other side, and the horse swerved.

Suddenly, as my ears filled with the sounds of Bulbin war cries, Yanlil disappeared, and there was a thud somewhere to my right that was enough to make me yank off my blindfold in a panic.

Dawn was just beginning to creep over the horizon before me, and the arrows that were flying through the air were on fire at the tips. I slid forward on the horse and grabbed the reins as it began hesitating, feeling along the side for one of the swords. I grabbed mine by chance and turned around to face the oncoming horde.

There were, in truth, not that many, but it had been enough to make Yanlil want to run instead of fighting. I saw that he was right to do so. The two of us had very little hope of fighting this number of them off, and even if we did, it would be with a number of injuries.

And to make things worse, now it was just me. I searched the ground for Yanlil; he was face down on the ground several yards away, and I guessed that he was unconscious. That was bad. An arrow stuck straight up out of his shoulder, and another protruded from his side.

It was my chance to run. It was my chance to take the horse and run as fast as I could, leaving Yanlil as a distraction and escaping with my life. But such a thing just wasn't in me; however rude and annoying he had been, it wasn't fair to leave him behind as bait for them.

So I jarred the horse forward and ran past Yanlil to meet them, sword out at a horizontal angle. The good thing was, most of them were on foot; I took several down just by trampling them. There were two riding bulls, one of which I managed to cut down as I went past, but the other managed to dodge me. I quickly tried to count. Ten? Fifteen? I couldn't be sure. Everything was moving too quickly.

I swung low towards the hand that held a club at me and struck something that made an unpleasant squelch. Turning the horse around again, I managed to take out the other rider.

The rest of the Bulbins were starting to steer clear of the horse now, having learned their lesson from the fallen, and I got an idea. I made a wide loop around them and skirted the edge of their pack, sending them all backwards. I doubled back and did it again. It was the same way I herded goats back at the farm; the only difference was that these things were trying to hit me back. One of the spiked clubs caught my leg and sent jarring pains through my body, but I gritted my teeth, pulling myself away and shooting dangerously close to the outer edge, trampling one of them along the way.

They were backing away now. A few had already turned tail and ran, which left me with about five more. I was breathing heavily with the effort of swinging the sword back and forth, but with a final push shot forward and sliced at the necks of two more Bulbins. The remaining three turned tail.

_I must be crazy, _was my first thought. My leg was bleeding, I was sure, but it hurt so much that I didn't have the stomach to look and see what manner of gruesome state it was in. I turned the horse and trotted back towards Yanlil, still out cold on the ground.

Slowly, trying not to look at my leg, I dismounted the horse and tried to land on the uninjured one, but the impact shockwaves still made me clench my teeth in pain.

_Don't be a wimp, _I told myself. _It's not that bad. _I still didn't really want to look at it, though.

I dragged myself over to Yanlil and hesitantly reached out, feeling the shafts of the arrows lodged in his body. The one in his shoulder was firm, but the one in his side wobbled a bit and seemed like it might come out easily.

I paused, though. I didn't really have the slightest clue how to treat an arrow wound. Yanlil still wasn't moving, so the first thing to do, I guess, would be to check and see if he was even alive…

I grabbed his arm and tried to turn him over, heart pounding, I got him to roll onto his back, and finally, got a look at Yanlil's face.

I saw right away the thing that I suppose he didn't want me to see – on his cheek there was a printed black tattoo, in the unnerving shape of a bullseye target. I blinked. Was that all? From the way he'd acted about it, I had expected some kind of horrifying facial defect.

I wasn't too sure, but I guessed he looked pretty young; a bit older than me, probably. The hair, like I'd seen earlier, was a bluish black and a bit long, hanging over his forehead and just touching his eyelids. He had a pretty ovular face, too; it wasn't ugly, like he'd told me just a few moments ago.

Swallowing, I reached forward and put two fingers on his neck to feel for a pulse. I made contact with his skin for barely a second before his eyes flew open.

I jerked backwards and he sat upright, moving surprisingly fast for someone with two arrows stuck in his body. I scrambled away and Yanlil's eyes widened at the sight of me, moving to grab his sword but then cringing in pain.

Breathing heavily, he looked down at the arrows, and then turned accusing eyes on me. "What did you do?" he demanded.

"Uh?" I blinked. "Me? N-no, I –!"

Struggling with the pain, he got to his feet. and I tried to do the same but my injured leg prevented me. "How did you know?" he demanded. "How did you know who I was?"

I waved my hands at him in protest. "No, no, no! You've got it wrong, okay? We were attacked by the Bulbins and they shot at you, don't you remember?"

"Bulbins…" He considered that for a moment. Then, his gaze hardened. "And I suppose you want me to believe that _you _proceeded to fight them all off?"

I swallowed. "Some of them ran," I admitted. "I used your horse and trampled some of them." I looked around for something I could use as proof. "Uh, my leg, see? My leg got hurt, when I was fighting them."

I showed him my leg, which was indeed very bloody and fleshy, but I supposed it wasn't _that _serious. He eyed the wound suspiciously. "I don't believe you." He staggered towards me, menacingly. "You knew who I was from the start, didn't you? You had all this planned out. _Didn't _you?"

"No!" I cried. "I swear, I have no idea what you're talking about." I tried to get my words out as fast as I could, hoping I could convince him before he found his sword. "I don't know who you are. I really have no clue. I didn't plan anything. Please…"

Yanlil paused, breathing heavily, clutching the arrow in his side. With his other hand, he pointed to his tattoo. "You don't know what this is?" he asked.

I shook my head vigorously. "No."

"You could just be saying that."

"Wh-why would I lie?" I swallowed again. "If I was really your enemy, th-then I could have killed you while you were unconscious, couldn't I?"

Thankfully, Yanlil seemed to see the sense in that. The anger faded from his eyes, and after a long, long pause, he collapsed to the ground again, laying flat on his back. "You don't know what the tattoo means," he said, as though assuring himself with a sigh. "Okay."

I let out a breath of relief. "Erm...are you all right?"

"I have two arrows embedded in my body," he groaned. "What do you think?"

"Right." I coughed, and started crawling towards him again. "Here, let me help you…"

"Do not touch me." He sat up again, and I froze where I was. He glared again. "You have seen my face. I still can't trust you." He took hold of the arrow in his side and gave it a soft pull, clenching his teeth to stifle a grunt of pain.

My eyes flicked to his hand. I wasn't an expert, but… "You shouldn't just pull it out like that," I said quietly. "You need someone to press and bandage the wound after it's out, so you don't bleed to death."

Yanlil paused again, giving me a look. I wondered if that had been crossing a line, to say, but after a second he rolled his eyes. "Very well. Go to the blue bag, on the horse. There is a roll of bandages inside." I nodded and slowly pulled myself to my uninjured foot, starting to limp over. "I will let you help me," he growled, warning in his tone. "Just for now. But keep in mind that I can snap your neck like I would a bird's."

I gulped, rummaging through the bag to get the bandages and then went over to sit on the ground beside him. His eyes were narrowed, hand still clutching the shaft. He didn't move, and I realized that he was waiting for my instruction. "Um…okay, try to pull it out as gently as you can." Slowly, making no sudden movements, I put both of my hands around the wound, cradling the arrow.

Yanlil shifted the arrow from his side, and I could hear his teeth grinding from where I sat. With a jerk it came out, and I moved my hands to cover the hole and pressed, feeling hot liquid push against my palms. "Er...you should lay down," I told him.

He did so, reluctantly, and I pressed down with all of my weight on the wound. Blood oozed out from between my fingers, but after a few minutes of pressing and holding, I could feel the flow decreasing a bit. I gingerly lifted my hands. "Take off your shirt, now," I said, then realized that I'd said it, and blushed. "So we can do the bandages, I mean."

He sat up slowly and did what I asked, unabashedly pulling his shirt over his head, having to maneuver it around the arrow in his shoulder. I took the bandages and began wrapping around his chest and waist. My hands shook every time I brushed his skin.

I tried deliberately not to look at the front of his chest, but ended up getting a glimpse. It made my breath catch a bit.

I made sure the bandages were tight and then tied them off, sitting back. Yanlil, who had been quiet and staring at the ground the whole time, reached for his shirt. "Thank you," he grunted.

"Oh," I said, as he started to put his shirt back on.

"What?"

"Er...I mean...you still have the one in your shoulder…"

He eyed me with his brow raised. "You want to bandage that one, as well?"

"If you'll let me, I can…"

"It doesn't hurt as much." He moved the shirt towards his head again.

"Ah, no," I said, almost grabbing his wrist but stopping myself halfway. "If we leave it, it will get infected."

"Why do you care?"

I blinked in surprise. "Ehm...I don't know...I just…"

I couldn't really think of an ending. Yanlil stared at me, then rolled his eyes once more, dropping his shirt.

"Fine," he said. "Do what you will."


	9. Chapter 9

Yanlil let me bandage his shoulder, though the whole time he was giving off a cold vibe that could have frozen a desert.

After I was finished, he pulled his shirt back on and I took what was left of the bandages to wrap my leg. I really had no idea if I was treating any of these injuries correctly, but I supposed it would have to do as temporary solution until we got to Hyrule.

He didn't say anything. I felt his gaze on me a few times as he tended to his horse, but I was careful not to look up. Still, though, curiosity was beginning to get the better of me. Finally, I brought myself to lift my head and look at him. "Um, if you don't mind me asking…"

Yanlil turned. I swallowed. "What _does _your tattoo mean?"

His hand stayed frozen on the horse's reins for a moment, expression wholly unreadable. Then he let go, coming towards me and crossing his arms. "I will answer that question, if you answer one of mine," he said.

"O-okay…"

"Who are you, really?" He raised an eyebrow. "You said you were going to Hyrule with your father, yes? Why?"

"I…" I still wasn't sure if I could tell Yanlil my story, but he didn't seem the type to work for tyrants, or for anyone, really. I sighed. "If you really want to know, I suppose I'd better start at the beginning."

Yanlil looked surprised for a moment, then came a bit closer to me and sat down. "All right," he agreed. "Go on, then."

"The reason was my brother, at first," I began, and from there explained to him where I was from and the attack that had happened on the village, in which my brother had been kidnapped. "My father was angered by some of the other things he heard of happening in the kingdom; the injustices and the invasions, and whatnot. He...he'd heard of this resistance movement in Hyrule, so we left the village and started out, with the intention of joining."

Yanlil's eyebrows shot straight up, but he said nothing. "Oh, but we got word that my brother _is _safe," I explained quickly. "So, that was a relief. But we still wanted to do something and help out. So, that's why."

I looked at him expectantly, looking for his tattoo story now. Yanlil nodded, and maybe it was just me, but I thought he might've been containing a smile. "I see," he said. "Now I will tell you how I got this tattoo." He rearranged his legs into a criss-crossed position. "I was captured several days ago by minions of this mysterious usurper, and they branded me with this mark." He tapped the bullseye on his cheek. "It lets the others know that I am their enemy."

"Oh." That explained why he hadn't wanted me to see it, I suppose. "What did you do, to get that mark?"

Now, there was a smile. "It is a bit of a coincidence, but," he began, "I received the mark for being a member of the Hyrule Resistance."

I blinked. "Wait, really?" Yanlil nodded. I let out my breath. "Ah...that's…"

He stood. "In any case, the Hyrule Resistance will gladly accept any help you would like to offer," he said. "We are short-handed, it so happens." Much to my surprise, his demeanor changed entirely, and he extended a hand towards me. "I would be happy to escort you to our headquarters."

"You mean you believe me?" I had expected a bit more resistance than that, especially from him.

He shrugged. "Let's say I don't _not_ believe you."

"What the fuck does that mean?"

Yanlil smiled a bit. "It's not very ladylike to swear."

"So I've been told."

He turned around, and I think he was laughing.

* * *

We covered the remaining ground between us and Hyrule within the next few days, and the odd coloring over the sky near the castle vanished not long before we arrived. Thankfully, there was no wall to block our path.

Yanlil still didn't do a whole lot of talking, and he seemed reluctant to answer when I asked how big the Hyrule Resistance was. "Not big," was his response.

"What do you mean? How many are there?"

Yanlil paused. "Including you, that would make...six."

"_Six_?" I grabbed his shoulder and made him look at me. He stared back at me steadily. "But that's…"

"Pitiful." Yanlil turned back around. "Yes. I am aware. That's why we must be careful. If the usurper learned of our location or if even he were certain of our existence, we could be stamped out with ease."

"And that's why you were so nervous about your tattoo…"

He nodded his head once. "Yes."

The castle grew larger and larger, and before long we were upon the drawbridge. Yanlil dismounted, and then helped me to do the same. "Why are we here?" I asked. "I thought we were going to your headquarters."

"We are." He tugged my arm, and had me follow him across the drawbridge.

"So close to the castle?"

"You've heard the saying, yes?" He smiled. "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." We came into the bustling town, and Yanlil continued dragging me through, without letting me pause to look around. "Plus, it's the last place they'd expect us to be, no?"

I was dragging my feet a bit, trying to catch a glimpse of the colorful dresses and fountains, but Yanlil pulled me into a back alley, down some stairs and past some large crates towards a door, with a sign that read TELMA'S BAR on the front.

The inside felt warm and homey, with the pungent smell of beer and whiskey in the air. It seemed to be closed, as the bar was unmanned and the tables were all empty, save for the one in the very back, where three figures sat huddled and speaking in hushed tones.

Yanlil nudged me and approached, and they all looked up.

"Yanlil," one said. "You've returned. Who is this?"

I swallowed, staring at the man who spoke. He looked old, maybe the same age as my father, but he was certainly well built. There was a girl beside him with black pigtails and a narrow, pinched face that stared at me critically. The third was considerably less intimidating, young, with curly hair and round glasses.

Yanlil made me step forward. "It's all right. Cacie has come to join us."

"Um…" I suddenly realized how pathetic I must look, a small village girl like myself in front of these fully-armored, hardened warriors. I swallowed, and bowed my head. "Hello."

They all regarded me for a while, leaving an unbearable silence. Finally, the elder one stood up, and held out a hand.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," he said. "My name is Auru."

I shook his hand. His grip was firm, and I tried to tighten mine as well, but my fingers were shaking far too much. Auru looked at Yanlil. "Are you quite sure about her?"

"She's no fighting expert, that's for sure," he grunted. I winced. "But she knows a thing or two. Besides, I didn't think we could afford to be picky about the help we receive."

"Right you are." The bespectacled one stood, holding out his own hand. "We gladly welcome you, of course. I am Shad."

The girl let out a breath, turning her head to the side. "Yeah," she said. "Welcome aboard. The name's Ashei." She didn't hold out her hand for me to shake.

"Our leader, Telma, is out at the moment," Auru explained. "She will return in a few days."

"Yanlil, what happened to your cheek?" Shad asked, squinting.

Yanlil's fingers brushed the tattoo, and he looked embarrassed. "I...was careless," he grumbled. "Some Bulbins branded me a few days ago."

Shad looked surprised. "That's…"

"They're _branding_ us now?" Ashei said.

"Unfortunate," Auru murmured. "And infuriating. You'll have to find a way to hide it. We can't have you running around with that displayed on your face."

"I know."

Shad had pulled a chair over for me, and I sat down, giving him a smile. "We both had several run-ins with Bulbins," Yanlil explained, sitting as well. "They're getting more and more active."

"That can only be a bad sign," Auru remarked.

"And as for Zora's Domain," Ashei said, "it's been unfrozen, as far as I can tell, but the Queen Rutela is dead, and the prince gravely injured."

"Ah, yes." Shad leaned forward. "How are the rest of the Zoras?"

"Not too great, to put it nicely," she replied. "A lot of them are still recovering from the freeze."

"Telma took the Zora Prince to Kakariko Village," Auru said. "Apparently, a shaman there knows how to heal him."

"Let's hope he survives," Ashei mumbled.

"So, what is our next course of action?" Yanlil asked.

"I'm going to focus on rehabilitating the injured and sick Zoras," Ashei said. "I don't know about the rest of you."

"I've been doing some research," Shad said.

"The sky again?" Yanlil grunted.

"_Yes_." Shad shot him a look. "I think I've come across some information that could be really interesting."

"Fascinating," Yanlil said, brushing him off. "I think our biggest lead right now is what Auru was working on. This mirror, correct?"

Auru nodded. "Yes, the desert. I am still working out a way to get there."

I turned to Yanlil, looking for help. He smiled. "Don't worry about it," he said. "You're with me."

"What do you mean?" I murmured.

"Each of us has our own specialty," Auru explained. "We are each completing our own research to gain insight to something that might help us against the usurper. I am currently seeking a supernatural power that is said to reside in the desert."

"I've been researching beings of the sky," Shad said eagerly. "It's really quite possible that there's a whole civilization up there –"

"I'm somewhat of an ambassador for the Zoras," Ashei interrupted, cutting Shad off. "I've been trying to get them to join forces with us. They are a large race; with their help, we might stand a chance. Unfortunately, they're a very peaceful sort of people."

I turned to Yanlil. "And what do you do?"

"Death Mountain," he said. "Gorons. Big, strong, rock race. And _not _pacifists." He gave a pointed look to Ashei, then turned back to me. "And you will be working with me."

"Oh?" I frowned. "Do I have to work with _you_?"

Auru laughed. Yanlil's mouth pressed into a thin line.

"I'd like to work with my father, when he gets here," I said.

"Your father?"

"Yes. I...was travelling with my father, but he had to turn back. He will be here on his own soon, I think."

Auru nodded. "That is good news. But for now, you'll be under Yanlil's care."

I let out a breath. "Fine."

Yanlil frowned at me, but said nothing, turning to face forward once more.


	10. Chapter 10

I spent the next few days in the bar with the Hyrule Resistance, taking in the information the others had to offer. I sent a letter to my father, telling him that I had arrived safely and was here waiting for him. Yanlil wanted to run right back out to Death Mountain, but Auru, who seemed to be the leader in place of this Telma person, said he wanted us to go down to Lake Hylia with Ashei to help with the Zoras.

"The Zoras are a lost cause," Yanlil argued. "Our chances are better with Gorons."

"Our cause at the moment isn't to gain allies," Ashei said, pounding her fist on the table. "The Zoras need our help. This isn't just about fighting the usurper. It's about trying to repair the damage that he's done."

I wouldn't say that I could call Ashei a friend, as she was very aloof, but I liked her nonetheless.

So, it was there, at Lake Hylia, that I ran into, for the second time, someone I wasn't expecting.

Ashei had gone up the path to talk to some of the Zoras at the domain, leaving Yanlil and I down at the bottom to help the injured at the shore. The Zoras were pretty shy, and didn't say much, but I liked simply looking at them. They were rather beautiful, and very delicate. I could see why Ashei cared for them so much.

Yanlil told me to go to his bag that he'd left across the bridge to fetch more bandages, so I ran over to bend down and pick it up. As soon as I stood up again, I found myself face-to-face with Link.

"Ah…?"

"Cacie!" Link broke out into a grin. "Hey!"

"Link? What are you...urk!" He suddenly grabbed me and pulled me into a giant hug, catching me totally off guard, elsewise I would've smacked him. My body tensed and too late I raised my arms to push him away. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"Oh, sorry." He stepped back, still grinning. "I'm just really glad to see you."

I stared at him, arms still up at my chest in a defensive motion. "You are?"

He scratched his head. "Yeah. I've been worrying about you. I mean, that is, everyone at the village, since I left. I'm really glad to see you're okay. How's your dad?"

I frowned. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "Why do you keep...appearing? What's your deal?"

"It's a coincidence, I guess." He shrugged. Despite my glare, he still seemed genuinely happy to see me. "I've been around a lot."

"Why? What are you doing?"

"I could ask you the same," he pointed out. "What are _you _doing here?"

It wasn't that I thought Link was working for the usurper or anything, I just really didn't want to tell him. I crossed my arms, pulling Yanlil's bag further up onto my shoulder. "That's my business. It's none of yours."

He sighed. "Okay, fine. I won't tell you what I'm doing, then."

"Fine. I don't really care anyway."

"Cacie!" I turned to see Yanlil on the other end of the bridge, frowning at Link as he walked towards me. "Who is this guy?"

"Who is _this _guy?" Link responded.

"Never mind," I growled, grabbing Yanlil by the arm. "Let's just go."

"Hey." Yanlil resisted, frowning at Link. "What is with those clothes, huh? You think you're a hero or something?"

Link didn't even flinch at the insult. and just sighed. "I have a feeling I know who you are."

"What did you say?" Yanlil stepped forward, and I grabbed his arm to pull him backwards.

"Yanlil, forget it," I said. "He's messing with you. He doesn't know about your tattoo."

Yanlil turned to look at me. "You know him?"

"Sorta," I grumbled. "Look, he's nobody. We can just ignore him." I shot Link a look, but he returned it steadily.

Yanlil growled, and turned away. Link smiled a bit. "It was great to see you, Cacie."

"Fuck you."

"Good luck to you too."

* * *

As Yanlil and I were making our way back to the bar, I spotted Link again, talking to one of the armored knights standing by the flower shop. I ground my teeth together. Why the hell did he have to show up wherever I was?

I told Yanlil I'd catch up at the bar later, and then strode over, grabbing his arm and dragging him with me down the stone alleyway. "Hey –?"

Next thing, I had him pinned against the wall by his shirt collar, knuckles pale white and arms shaking with rage and effort. "Okay, asshole," I snarled. "You're gonna tell me exactly _what _you're doing here, and _why _you've been running around so much lately. It's pissing me off." I pressed harder. "What _is _it? You think you're gonna single-handedly save the world, don't you?"

He blinked. "Whoa, Cacie…"

"_Tell me!_"

"Okay, okay!" Link held up his hands, and much to my infuriation, he was laughing.

I stamped my foot down to his and dug it in. "You think this is fucking _funny_? I'm not joking! I want to know what's going on!"

"Cacie, calm down – ack! For the love of Nayru, _do not put your foot there. _Look, okay. If you want to know that badly, I can explain."

I released him, and suddenly realized in repulsion how close I was and stepped back. Link straightened out the wrinkles I had left in his shirt. "Can we go somewhere and talk?"

I glanced back. They would be looking for me at Telma's, but I probably had a bit of time… "Fine," I said, and waved a hand to tell him to lead the way.

We ended up in a different, busier bar that was on the other side of the town, where Link and I sat down at an empty table. "Don't you think it's a little too crowded in here?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No. It's perfect. No one will hear us." He waved one of the serving girls over. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"No," I answered curtly.

Still, I couldn't wipe that stupid smile off his face. He said something to the serving girl, while I sat back with my arms crossed, shaking my head when she asked me if I wanted anything.

"Look," I said, when the girl was gone. "I didn't come here to socialize with you, okay? I just want to know what's going on."

"Yes," Link sighed. "You're very insistent on that. Okay. I'll tell you everything, all right?"

And then Link launched right into this story about how the Bulbin riders had burst into the spring, knocking out him, Ilia, and Colin and then how he'd woken up in one of their camps, tied up, unarmed, and then _somehow _managed to break free and kill several, stealing back the ceremonial sword that had been taken and then escaping the camp and following a few leads to find the rest of the kids, cutting down the Bulbins who came after him along the way.

I sat quietly and listened, waited a beat to be sure he was done, and then took a breath. "Bullshit."

Link finally stopped smiling and stared at me. "What?"

"That's bullshit. All of it." I shook my head. "Look, you really expect me to believe that you got captured by Bulbins and then all of the sudden turned into some hero of legend? I _know _you. You're good with a sword, sure, but not good enough to fight off whole brigades of Bulbins all on your own."

He was silent, staring at me in surprise. "Um…"

"I'm not an idiot, Link. You probably started making that story up the second you saw me down at Lake Hylia."

He blinked several times, then finally, leaned forward and put his arms on the table. "Well," he said. "You...are smarter than I thought."

"Thanks a lot," I muttered. "I don't really care about what happened before, all right? I can already tell you aren't going to talk about that. I want to know what you're doing here now."

He took a breath. "That I can do," he said. "I left Ordon a few days ago to find Ilia."

"Right." I rolled my eyes. "Your girlfriend."

"_Not _my girlfriend," he corrected. "I felt bad, since everyone was so happy that the children were safe, and Mayor Bo…" He shook his head. "Anyway...I managed to track her down here."

I raised my eyebrows. "You mean she's here in Hyrule?"

"She was. Er...you heard about the Zora Prince, right?"

I nodded. Ashei talked about it all the time. Link nodded back. "She and Telma were worried about him, and Telma wanted to take him to Kakariko to see Renado – er, that's the shaman who lives there."

"So you took them," I guessed.

"Right."

"And Ilia is there now?"

"Yes."

"I'm surprised she didn't want to come back with you."

"Eh, yeah...about that…" Link rubbed the back of his neck. "Ilia...doesn't remember me. She doesn't remember anything. Didn't even recognize me when I walked in the door."

"Oh." I frowned. There was a part of the story that I hadn't been expecting. "That sucks."

"Yes, it does. Delicately put." He rolled his eyes. "Anyway, Renado said that he might be able to help her get her memories back, eventually."

"So you saved the girl," I summarized. "Still doesn't explain what you're doing here now."

"Now?" Link swallowed. "I'm –"

Then, the serving girl stopped by and put two glasses down in the middle of the table, tall and filled with amber colored liquid. I glared over them at Link. "I told you not to order me anything."

"And I didn't," he said. "I just happened to order two drinks." He gave me that intolerable grin. "Although, if you wanted one, you could have one."

"I don't want one."

He shrugged. "Okay. Probably just as well." He picked up one of the glasses. "I doubt you could hold much liquor anyway."

He then proceeded to drain about half the glass in just a few gulps, then put it down on the table and wiped his upper lip.

I looked at the amber liquid. I'd never had beer before, and I didn't know what it tasted like. Still, it was obviously a challenge, and I hated to let him win by default.

Hesitantly, I took the glass, and held it to my mouth, catching a whiff. It smelled somewhat of bread, and under that there was a sort of rancid, acidic scent that made my nose wrinkle. Link was watching me expectantly, so taking a deep breath, I put it to my lips and took a big gulp.

My throat burned, and I choked, spitting the mouthful back into the glass. Link began to laugh. "That's the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted!" I forced out, throat on fire like I'd just swallowed oil. I shoved the glass away and glared at Link. "Hey!" I stood up, fists clenching. "Shut the fuck up!"

He seemed to make an effort to stop laughing, but didn't do so well. "I-I'm sorry," he managed, finally. "But...wow. Sorry…"

"Why don't you just stop changing the subject?" I sat back down and asked my question again. "_What are you doing here_?"

Link brought his hand to his forehead, laughter subsiding. "All I'm doing now is a favor for a friend," he said. "Someone who helped me out, so I kind of owe her."

I leaned back again. "A friend?"

He nodded, but then paused. "Er, well, not really a 'friend' I guess. Acquaintance. Sort of." He shook his head. "It's a bit hard to explain, but the gist is, I owe her this."

"And how long is this 'favor' going to take?"

He shrugged. "I'm hoping not much longer. It's already taken up more time than I thought."

"Hmph." I crossed my arms again. "It's that simple?"

"It's been anything _but _simple," he murmured.

Well, now that I had what I wanted, I stood up. "Great. That's all I need to know. I don't care about the details, but from now on, just try to stay away from me, okay? I'd like to avoid seeing you again, like, ever."

"Harsh," he muttered. "That might be hard, though, since it's possible I could be working with the Hyrule Resistance in the future."

I stopped, and whipped back around. "You know about –!"

"Telma told me about it," he said. "I'm surprised, though. I wouldn't have expected to find _you _among them."

"But how did you know I was –"

"Call it a hunch," he interrupted. "Chances are, Cacie, we're going to have to see each other again. And you're going to have to deal with it." He stood up and approached me, reaching out a hand. "So, I think we should agree to be friends."

"Excuse me?"

I stared at him with such a deadly look that he stepped backwards a bit, but didn't lower his harm. "Erm, okay, not friends. Friendly acquaintances?"

"Ugh…"

"How about acquaintances who are completely indifferent toward one another?"

"How about," I said, stepping forward and jabbing my finger into his chest, "I never talk to you again, and you never talk to me again?"

"Um…"

"Good, you agree." I whipped around, waving a hand briefly. "Great. Now goodbye."

I pushed through the crowd and made it to the door before he could try to stop me, thanking the gods that that was finally over with.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay, I've been on vacation this week. I'll try to get the next chapter of Sky Child up tonight too.

* * *

I made it back to the bar feeling a lot better now that I knew, at least somewhat, what Link was up to. I wasn't sure what it was. but not knowing what he was running around doing had made me incredibly uneasy. It would hopefully be easy to just forget about him now…

Yanlil wanted to know what I had been doing, but I just told him it was private. Well, for all the trouble he'd caused me, at least Yanlil was better than Link. Not by much, though.

The next day I had a letter from my father, saying that he was on his way. I would be glad to see him again, without a doubt.

Auru wanted Yanlil to help him with something, so I went back to Lake Hylia with Ashei, up to Zora's Domain. I was semi-happy to get to spend time with her, but in another way, she was slightly frightening, and I never knew exactly what to say or how to approach her. Any response she gave, whether she meant it to be mean or not, was curt and short, and she gave everyone a very chilling stare. I'd learned just over the few days I'd been here not to be offended by it. She just wasn't one for talking.

So I tried not to talk to her unless I had to, even though I wanted to try and make friends. We went up to Zora's Domain and did our respective duties, with me on one side administering medicine to sick, coughing and sniffling Zoras, and her on the other side doing the same.

I was half afraid that Link would show up again, but he didn't, which I was grateful for. I felt a lot easier knowing what he was here for and knowing that I'd told him very clearly to back off, and I think I might've scared him enough into doing so. Whatever he did didn't concern me. This was my job right now.

"Hey."

Ashei approached me at the end of the day to give me this brusque greeting. I looked up, and chose my responding syllable carefully. "Hi."

"You finished?"

"Yes." I had already begun packing up all of my things. Ashei had her medical bag slung over her shoulder, and stood there a moment. I realized she was waiting for me.

I stood up, and for the first time, I witnessed her try something like a smile. "Thanks for your help," she grunted.

"No problem."

We started down the cliffside, using the tunnel path that the Zoras had built in, and there was a pretty long silence between us. I guess it wasn't really awkward, but just sort of neutral. To my surprise, Ashei broke it after a few minutes. "They're very peaceful," she said.

I blinked in surprise. "Oh?"

"The Zoras," she clarified. "I know they aren't going to help us fight. But I just like them, you know? I like how they're so trusting and serene. It's nice."

I nodded. I had thought so as well.

"I just feel like...people like that are gonna get eaten alive in this world," she continued. "Take Queen Rutela. She was a very beautiful, loving queen, and she's dead now. I want to protect them." She shrugged. "It's kinda weird."

"Like a maternal instinct," I said, without thinking.

Ashei frowned. "A what?"

"Er…" I swallowed. "You know, a maternal instinct. Like how a mother feels towards a child...that sort of thing?" Maybe that had been the wrong thing to say. She was giving me that look. I couldn't really read her expression. "I just meant…"

"I know what you meant," she said, and then, much to my relief, she agreed with me. "Yeah. I guess it is a bit like that."

I let out a breath, and we made the rest of the trip in total silence. which I was completely okay with. Choosing my words so carefully was exhausting.

When we returned to the bar, Yanlil was angry. "What do you mean, she's not on her way back yet?" he was saying, hands flat on the table. Auru was frowning at a letter on the other side, with Shad looking over his shoulder.

"That's what she says," Auru said. "She's staying in Kakariko for a while."

"She can't _do _that!" Yanlil whipped around.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Ah, you're back," Auru said. "We've had a letter from Telma. Apparently she's going to remain in Kakariko for a few days more."

"Look, we _need _her here!" Yanlil snarled. "We need everyone! I don't know if she's noticed, but this 'resistance' movement is pitifully small! We can't sit around and wait for her while she's off flirting with some voodoo dumbass!"

"Yanlil," Auru said sharply. "There is nothing to be done."

"Oh, there's something to be done," he said. "I'll go to Kakariko now and go get her."

"Don't be such an idiot," Ashei said. "That's pointless. It'll take longer than just letting her come back on her own, probably."

"You don't know that," Yanlil argued.

"You just want to pay another visit to those Gorons," Ashei said. "So you can start a war."

Suddenly Yanlil was in front of her, face twisted in rage. "Listen, bitch," he snapped. "I don't care what kind of parts you have down there, I will break your arm all the same."

"Stop it!" I shrieked, grabbing Yanlil's arm. "You're not supposed to be fighting one another!"

"Cacie is quite right," Shad spoke up.

Auru nodded. "Yanlil. Perhaps you need to cool off for a bit."

Yanlil ripped his arm from my hand, grunting. Ashei crossed her arms, and Auru gave her a pointed glance as well. "And Ashei, there is no need to provoke him. You know he has a short temper."

"Whatever," Ashei muttered, turning away. Yanlil still looked enraged.

Auru jerked his head towards the door. "Return when you've calmed down, Yanlil."

His fists clenched into tight balls and he shot Auru a glare; and then, like a sulky teenager, he whipped around and left, slamming the bar door behind him.

I let out a sigh. "Does that happen a lot?" I asked Auru.

He gave a dry smile. "More often than I'd like to admit."

* * *

Yanlil didn't return for several hours, and when I began to grow antsy, Shad tried to reassure me. "He's stormed out and gone for days before," he told me. "He'll be back when he's ready. It takes a while for him to swallow his pride, you know."

Well, I knew that feeling. I sighed. "Don't you know where he's gone?" I asked.

"Probably some tavern," Auru grunted. "To drink himself into a stupor."

I sat still for another minute, hands on my knees, twitching my feet back and forth before I stood up. "I think I should go and look for him."

"It's no use," Ashei said. "He's probably filthy stinking drunk by now."

"Yeah, but...his tattoo…"

Ashei shrugged. "No one will be looking for him here."

"I still think I should…"

Auru said nothing, and Shad gave me a sad smile. Ashei rolled her eyes. "Fine. Suit yourself."

* * *

I had to check a number of bars before I finally found him in the back of a particularly rowdy one, slumped over in his chair with several empty bottles in front of him. I approached carefully, bending down to be eye level with him. "Yanlil?"

His head shot up. He was clearly drunk, with the way his head lolled dangerously and his eyes fixed on my face with only a vague sense of recognition. "You…" he muttered, arm sliding towards one of the bottles. "What're...you doing…"

I carefully pried the bottle out of his hand. He didn't resist me, fist closing around empty air. "Come on," I said, taking his arm to pull over my shoulder. "It's time to go."

Yanlil groaned and pulled his arm away, putting his head back down on the table. I tried again to pull him to his feet. He mumbled something unintelligible at me.

"Yanlil," I grunted, still trying to pull him. "Come _on_."

Finally I managed to get him out of the chair and staggered under his weight. I had to pretty much drag him the whole way out of the bar, because he certainly wasn't making any effort to help. I struggled to pull him through the din and roughhousing, and as soon as I got him outside, he collapsed and lay prostrate in the middle of the street.

"Seriously?" I let out a heavy sigh and bent down. "Yanlil, you have to get up."

He groaned. I tried to pull him off the ground, but he lay there, completely immovable. Thankfully there weren't all that many people on this street, but those who were either gave us funny looks or hurried past. "Hey," I hissed. "You'd better stand up right now or I swear I will twist your balls off."

That seemed to get his attention, and he lifted his head to look at me, trying to see if I was serious. "Fuck," he muttered, and slowly started to push himself off the ground.

I took his arm to try and help him, but as soon as he was upright all his weight came onto me and he staggered, both hands suddenly taking hold of my face. "Did you know," he slurred, "that you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen," then abruptly slammed his mouth against mine.

The kiss was sloppy, and tasted like the beer Link had made me drink earlier. I shoved him away quickly and he staggered, almost going to the ground again but I grabbed his arm and prevented him.

I let out a breath. "You're drunk, so I'm going to pretend that didn't happen," I muttered. "Come on. Let's go."

It really was too bad that had to be my first kiss.

* * *

I managed to lug Yanlil all the way back to Telma's bar, where I got a few looks from Ashei upon entry. Auru got up to help me, thankfully, and as soon as we put him down on the floor, Yanlil passed out cold.

I sighed. Well, at least now I knew he wasn't out picking fights in the street. Weird, had I actually been worried about him getting hurt? I thought about that. I guess I had been. Well, Yanlil wasn't a totally awful person, so I guessed it was only natural…

Ashei gave me looks for the rest of the night, and I felt slightly disappointed knowing that I'd just ruined my chances of being friends with her.

In the morning, I awoke to see Yanlil already up and sitting at one of the empty tables, sipping some coffee he must have found in the back of the storeroom. He had one hand on his head, and didn't seem to notice me getting up until I approached him at the table.

"I never pegged you for a sleepy drunk," I remarked. "I thought you'd be one of the angry ones. Or, at least, an emotional drunk who is the complete opposite of his usual self."

Yanlil looked at me, fist against the side of his head. "You've thought about this before," he observed.

"Oh, yeah." I sat down across from him. "It's always fun to imagine what people are like drunk. It's like seeing a whole different side."

"I see."

"On holidays, all the men in the village drank a lot all the time. It was very interesting. I've seen violent drunks, sobbing drunks, horny drunks, energetic drunks...we don't have too many sleepy drunks, though."

Yanlil was quite clearly not enjoying this conversation, but I kept going anyway, enjoying his moment of vulnerability. "Usually I can guess pretty easily what kind of drunk you'd be. Like Ashei over there? Definitely an emotional drunk. All those pent up feelings that she keeps to herself while she pretends to be a man would just come spilling out. Shad would be an emotional, too, but that's obvious. I'm not quite sure about Auru, but I think he might be –"

"You are giving me a headache," Yanlil interrupted, clutching at his head with both hands.

I shrugged. "It's your own fault." I reached over and tapped his forehead, making him flinch back. "You know what alcohol does? It burns up your insides. Getting drunk like that so much is going to end your life a whole lot quicker."

"And how would you know?"

"I don't, really," I admitted. "But I figure it's got to be something like that, since everyone seems to like it so much. Anything that good is bound to be bad for you in some way. That's just how the world works."

"Fascinating," Yanlil grumbled. "Please leave me alone."

I stayed put, tilting my head a bit. "Do you remember anything from last night?"

He sighed. "Not much. Why?"

_I thought so. _"No reason," I lied. I guess it didn't matter. That sloppy smushing of his face against mine didn't really count as a kiss anyway.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** Hello! Yes, I'm alive. Pardon my quick hiatus, but I'm back now! I'll post another Sky Child on Thursday too. I really mean it this time. Seriously, guys.

* * *

About a day later, twilight fell early on Lake Hylia.

Yanlil, Ashei, and I had just ridden back from dealing with a small horde of Bokoblins when we saw the sky changing colors just over the lake, leaving eerie ripples in the air and something that looked like backwards rain heading towards the sky. "What the fuck is that?" Yanlil asked.

Ashei stared, swallowing. "Come on," she said, kicking her horse onwards. Yanlil and I did the same.

We barely came close enough to see down to the lake before the colors abruptly disappeared, and it began raining the correct way; down from above. We all stopped, looking down over the wall at a perfectly normal, healthy Lake Hylia.

Ashei muttered something, looking up at the sky again. I swallowed, clutching my reins tighter. I had a really, really bad feeling about that. Just the sight of it had sent chills down my spine, and the way it had disappeared right as we'd come near…

Almost like that wall, back at the village…

After a moment, Yanlil grunted. "I suppose it was nothing," he said.

Ashei seemed to agree, because she turned her horse around, and they both started trotting back towards the castle. I stayed where I was. I had a feeling it wasn't just "nothing"... "You go ahead," I called after them. "I want to have a look around."

Ashei glanced back at me with an even stare, but shrugged and turned back around. "Fine by me," she muttered.

Yanlil hung back for another minute. "Don't stay long," he instructed, and then went after Ashei.

The rain was falling hard now, and soaking me all the way through my coat but I barely felt it as I walked my horse onto the bridge and glanced over. I couldn't place it, exactly, but...I wanted to go down there…

I didn't have nearly enough time for that, though...I turned my horse around and started pacing the wall at the ravine, trying to think about what might have caused that. It looked rather like the strange sky we had seen over Hyrule Castle a few days before reaching it. It too, had vanished before we'd been able to get very close.

There was some snarling from somewhere behind me, and I twisted around, recognizing the sound of Bokoblins shuffling around. Where had they come from? We had just gotten done taking out several…

I drew my sword and spurred the horse towards them, leaning down and cutting down two as I went, and then caught a glimpse of something in the distance.

It ran on four legs and would have blended in with the night, if not for a pale creature sitting slumped over on its back. My horse scuffed the ground nervously as it got a bit closer but I urged her onward slowly.

_The wolf?_

No doubt it was the same one, with that muscular build and the markings all over its back. But what was that _thing_?

I rode towards it, slashing at three more Bokoblins before I got close enough to be sure. It was the very same wolf, but as for what it was carrying…

The wolf noticed me and bolted towards me, dodging another Bokoblin. The horse, surprisingly, did not flinch this time, and the wolf barked up at me.

I slid down off the horse. "Hey...what are you doing all the way out here? What is...that?"

Much to my alarm, the thing lifted its head, and spoke. "Please…" it muttered hoarsely. "Princess...Zelda…"

"Princess Zelda," I repeated. Whatever it was, it was clearly very wounded, and, I figured, wouldn't hurt anyone. I knelt down. "You want to see Princess Zelda?"

The thing nodded. "Please…"

I swallowed. Well, I didn't know how it expected me to pull that off. There was no way I could just walk into the castle; it was guarded twenty-four-seven.

The wolf whined. I stood up, and got back onto my horse. "Follow me, okay?" I looked at the wolf, wondering if it really did know what I was saying or if I was being stupid. "Do you understand me?"

I thought I might have imagined it, but the wolf most definitely nodded its head. I didn't have time to worry about it. I turned and started trotting towards the castle, the wolf right behind, and cut down the Bokoblins that came towards us. I could hear that thing's breathing, shallow and labored, as it clung to the back of the wolf.

We reached the drawbridge and I dismounted, and without waiting, the wolf ran straight across. I stopped fumbling with the horse's reins and ran after. "Wait!"

Screams echoed out of the town square as the wolf ran straight through and finally I caught up with it, stepping on the leftover chain attached to its paw. It jerked to a stop, growling at me, but I was too busy holding my hands out towards the people cowering at the sides of the street. "It's okay," I said. "It's really okay!"

"Little miss," a man's voice said, and I turned to see one of the knights standing behind me, spear pointed at the wolf. "Might I suggest you keep your freakish pet on a leash?"

"S-sorry," I said, stepping off the wolf's chain. It ran around behind me, as if trying to hide the thing on its back. "I'm really sorry. It won't happen again."

I turned and hurried the wolf forward, heading towards the empty alley where Telma's bar was. "P-Princess Zelda," the thing whispered.

"I know, I know," I said. "Um…" I looked around, and the grate up near the ceiling caught my eye. "Oh…" I chewed my lip. "I bet all the sewers are connected...you might be able to get into the castle that way…" I looked at the wolf. "If I get you up there, do you think you could find your way to Princess Zelda?"

Again, it nodded its head. _I must be going crazy. _I swallowed. "Okay," I breathed, and glanced at the crates. If I pushed them around, it might be able to jump up there. "I really must be going crazy," I said aloud this time, going to start shoving at one of the crates.

The wolf came after me and shoved its head against the crate beside me. I looked down at it in surprise.

"You seriously are no ordinary wolf, are you?"

It just kept shoving at the crates. I turned and helped.

After moving about two more, the wolf hopped up on top and began climbing towards the grate. I stood there and watched, swallowing.

When it reached the top, it turned around and barked at me. I smiled a little. "You're welcome."

The wolf disappeared through the grate.

* * *

Yanlil had a towel ready to hand me when I walked into the bar, which I accepted. "Find anything?" he asked.

"Huh?" I blinked, then remembered that I was supposed to be investigating around the lake. "Oh. No, not really."

I sat down at one of the tables, rubbing my head with the towel. So, what exactly had I just done? Had I just knowingly let a giant wolf and some sort of demonic creature into the castle, headed for Princess Zelda?

I shook my head. No, I knew the wolf wasn't bad. At least, I thought so. Geez, I hadn't thought about this at all. I could've just done something really bad.

I felt like the wolf wasn't a monster, that it really was just an innocent creature, but I couldn't imagine why that thing wanted it to take it to see Princess Zelda. It had been injured in some way, it seemed, so maybe that was why. But still, my common sense was kicking in and scolding me for doing that.

Before I could start stressing about it, a finger tapped my shoulder and I looked up to see Yanlil standing over me with an oddly neutral expression. "I would like to speak with you in private," he said.

I blinked. "Oh...okay?"

He motioned me towards the storage room behind the bar and I got up to follow him, brow furrowed.

It was dark and kind of cramped in the storage room, and smelled faintly of wine shut away in wooden crates. "Um...what is this about…?"

Yanlil turned to face me. "Nothing serious, really," he said. "It's only...I understand that the other night, when I was drunk out of my mind, I...kissed you, didn't I?"

I blinked in surprise. "Oh, you remember that."

"Vaguely." He rubbed the back of his head.

"It's not a big deal, so don't worry about it."

Yanlil shook his head. "I'm not worried because I kissed you. I am worried because I kissed you badly."

Again, I was taken aback. "Badly…?" He looked at me expectantly, clearly wanting me to confirm this. I frowned. "Well, yeah, but like I said, it's not a big deal, I'm not mad or anything…"

"I don't think you understand." Yanlil suddenly came closer to me, and instinctively, I took a step back and hit the wall behind me. "If I kiss a woman, I don't kiss her badly."

"Oh, um…"

"It's a matter of reputation," he continued. "So you realize that I have to do this."

"You have to do –?"

Then, Yanlil leaned forward and kissed me. _Really _kissed me this time. There was no messy pressing of two mouths; this time, it was his lips gently brushing and pulling on mine, a hand caressing my cheek. In surprise I didn't move, but even after I realized what was happening I didn't push him away. I don't know why. I was curious, I suppose.

I let him work my mouth open, his top lip moving in between mine, and a moment later felt the tip of his tongue and shuddered a little. My eyes had closed of their own accord. I found myself, ever so slightly, leaning into it. I wasn't even thinking about it. My head was totally blank.

That is, until he carefully pulled back. I opened my eyes. He kept his face close for a second, thumb still stroking my cheek. "That," he said, softly, "is how I kiss a woman."

He dropped his hand and then turned around and left the storeroom, abandoning me there to try and continue breathing.

* * *

Yanlil was completely not embarrassed and acted like nothing had happened at all, carrying on just like before. I was stunned. Like, he totally acted like the kiss meant absolutely nothing. Like he had just been showing me what a real kiss was.

That definitely said something about him. He must have kissed a whole lot of girls like that to be totally unaffected. And to be so _good _at it.

I had nothing to compare it to, of course, so I didn't know, but I was almost positive that that had been a _really _good kiss. I tried to forget about it, but he'd made it impossible. What the hell was this? I didn't even _like _Yanlil that much.

But no one, _no one _had ever made me feel like that in only a matter of seconds.

Thankfully, distractions soon arrived. I met Telma, finally; she returned that night. Telma was, to put it nicely, a busty woman, with red dreadlocks hanging off the back of her head and matching red lipstick. She walked with a sway to her hips, cleavage displayed prominently at the top of her shirt.

She was a tad intimidating in that way but was very friendly, giving my hand an enthusiastic shake. "Glad to have you on the team, honey," she told me.

As she was telling us about her various misadventures, the subject of Link did come up, which I had been expecting. She rambled a bit about his heroism, which I just tuned out.

Yanlil tapped my arm. "Isn't that your friend from the lake?" he asked.

I tried not to look at him, fighting the blush that came to my cheeks. "He' s not my friend," I muttered.

"It's the same guy though, is it not?"

"Sounds like the young man who visited a few days ago," Shad said, grimacing. "We were rather rude to him, if I recall..."

"Wait..." Ashei frowned. "You mean he wasn't dressed like that as a joke? He actually _was_ a hero?"

"That's right, honey."

"It would seem we owe him an apology," Shad murmured.

I clenched my fists. Why did no one understand that all he really was was a headstrong dumbass?

"You dislike this man," Yanlil observed.

I mistakenly turned to him, and flushed red. "I-I..." I shook my head. "He's the worst person I know."

Yanlil regarded me for several moments, head tilting. My face felt hot, and suddenly, Yanlil reached out with two fingers and poked me right in the center of my blushing cheek.

My entire face burned. Yanlil smirked, then stood and wandered away.

* * *

The next day, the door to Telma's bar opened behind me, and when I turned I could barely keep from shrieking in delight at the sight of my father standing in the doorway.

I leapt from the chair and ran to his arms, making him stagger back a little but I didn't care. Dad laughed. "I take it you missed me?"

Auru stood as well. "Are we to assume you are Cacie's father?" he asked.

I stepped away from Dad, and he nodded. "That's right."

Telma's lips pursed into a puckered smile. "Glad to have you, honey," she said.

"Yes," Yanlil agreed. "Welcome."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N**: This chapter contains, er, more explicit material than usual. If you are not comfortable reading sex scenes, you should probably skip this one...

* * *

Father fit in with Auru and Shad easily, already bringing forth several ideas about some legends held back in Faron Woods. I was glad to see him well, and hopefully it meant that I wouldn't have to follow Yanlil around anymore, since that was a bit awkward now.

In fact, as my father and Auru were discussing some of his theories, I found Yanlil gazing intently at me from the other side of the room. I instantly flushed red, and upon seeing that, he gave me an insolent grin.

I realized with a jolt that he was teasing me. Had that whole kiss just been a way to make me feel uncomfortable so he could make fun of me? _What a fucking bastard…! _

I glared over at him and whipped my head around to try and avoid his gaze for the rest of the day, but every time I felt him staring at me I couldn't help my cheeks turning a little pink.

For that day we didn't do a whole lot, and though it had seemed like I had so much to tell Dad before, now I couldn't think of a single thing to say. I wished I could tell _someone _about the wolf, but I was sure that if I told Dad what I had done earlier he would only lecture me. Then again, maybe it was a lecture I deserved, since I wasn't entirely sure if that was the right thing to do. Still, I hadn't heard about anything horrendous happening at the castle lately, so…

Since we weren't doing much that day, I decided it might be a good idea to get away from Yanlil for a while and let Dad and Auru talk; they seemed very deep into their conversation, and as much as I wanted to hug my dad and ask how everyone at the village was doing, I thought it wouldn't be a good idea to interrupt.

I hadn't had much chance to look around the city since I'd gotten here, so I spent the afternoon poking around the shops in the town square, watching all the elegantly dressed people pass by and admiring colorful dresses that I would never be able to afford. I even noticed a fortune-teller's shop in the east part of town, as well as some place called "Agitha's Bug Palace" or something of the sort, but I didn't get a chance to look inside. As soon as I turned around, there was Yanlil, standing like he'd just risen up out of the ground. I jumped, hand shooting over my heart. "Fuck," I muttered. "You scared the shit out of me."

"You seem to be avoiding me," Yanlil said, in an almost business-like manner.

I rolled my eyes. "What on earth gave you that idea?" I turned around to go, but he grabbed my arm to hold me back.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I don't quite understand."

I raised an eyebrow. "How can you not understand? Are you stupid?"

"Is it because of the kiss?"

"_Yes, _Yanlil, it's because you ambushed me and did _that _without my permission, and now you're acting like it's no big deal."

"You said yourself that it was no big deal."

"I mean, I did, but I meant…" I stammered, and shook my head. "And there's also the way you keep making fun of me –"

"Making fun?" Yanlil looked genuinely confused. "I wasn't making fun."

"Then why were you laughing at me?"

Yanlil smiled. "I'm sorry, you misunderstand. I wasn't making fun of you." He stepped forward, so swiftly and smoothly that I almost didn't notice. "You just blush so easily. It makes you even more beautiful than before."

Ironically, I felt myself begin to blush now. "S-stop it," I muttered. "I know you're just saying that to piss me off."

Yanlil shook his head. "Why would I lie?"

"B-because…" My blush was getting more and more furious, and I wish I had a way to make it stop. "Just stop it."

"Why?" Yanlil was suddenly much, much closer, backing me once again to the wall. "Did you not enjoy my kiss?"

"I…" I swallowed. "That doesn't matter. You...you have no right to kiss a girl like that without her permission."

"I didn't hear you complaining."

"Th-that's because I –" I couldn't get a full sentence out with him so close to me, slowly leaning his face towards mine. "Y-you're doing it again!"

"If you want me to stop, then tell me to stop," he purred, and waited a moment. I couldn't bring myself to open my mouth.

So, Yanlil kissed me for the third time, and this time he did not hold back, brushing his lips between mine and letting his tongue explore the entire inside of my mouth. Before I even realized it I was kissing back, leaning into him and trying to copy his movements. It felt very natural, surprisingly; I always used to worry that, if I ever wanted to kiss a boy, I wouldn't know how. But Yanlil, obviously being very experienced, did most of the work, and all I really had to do was follow his lead.

_Why...am I doing this? _

I was only vaguely wondering that as Yanlil took hold of me around the waist and pulled me closer, and I stood on my tip-toes and grabbed his shoulders to try and get leverage. My entire body felt hot, and every time Yanlil opened his mouth I felt his breath on my face. I was pulsing.

_You know what? I'm eighteen...there's no denying that I find Yanlil attractive..._

Our noses brushed as I started following his lead less and instead went by my own instincts.

_Why the hell not? _

* * *

Yanlil whisked me off to the nearest inn and hurriedly shoved some coins in the innkeeper's face, and I didn't get much of a say because every free moment we had his mouth was against mine. I clung to his hand as we thundered up the stairs, and he pushed me against the door to kiss me again as he shoved the key blindly into the lock.

As soon as the door was open, Yanlil scooped me up easily in both arms and carried me into the room, tossing me lightly onto the ready-made bed and going right for the buckle of his pants.

_Wait a second, oh, shit, shit, shit. _For some reason it hadn't fully registered until now. My breath caught and I choked, terror striking me like a heavy stone and I felt color drain from my face. I tried to breathe.

Yanlil paused, no doubt noticing my sudden change in expression. "What is it?" he asked.

"I-I…" My hands were shaking. Should I say I wanted to stop? When we'd already come this far? Then again, did I _want _to stop? "I'm scared," I choked out finally.

Yanlil seemed puzzled, climbing onto the bed and hovering over me, watching me tremble beneath him for a moment. "It's your first time?" he realized suddenly.

I nodded. Yanlil's eyes widened a bit, and he stopped undoing his pants, smiling at me. "That's fine," he said. He reached towards me. "Give me your hand."

Swallowing, I extended my arm towards him, and he intertwined his fingers with mine. His other hand was crawling around the waistband of my pants, beginning to tug them downwards. "You'll be all right," he promised, leaning down to kiss my forehead.

His voice became strangely calming and his hand gripping mine made me stop trembling, even if only a little. I moved my legs to help him kick my pants off, because no matter how terrified I was, I, for the life of me, _could not _ignore the way my whole body was pulsing and practically _aching_ in a way that it never had before. Yanlil's hand slipped beneath my smallclothes and I gasped, shivering.

He leaned down closer to me, lips brushing the side of my neck. "Relax," he whispered.

I felt his hand, warm, slowly make its way downward until I felt the stirring jerk itself all the way up to my lower stomach and drew in a sharp breath. Yanlil's thumb began to press gently down, and I felt two fingers work their way inside me.

The hand that wasn't caught in Yanlil's gripped the sheets on the bed and I tensed, but Yanlil's fingers stroked my palm and he pressed his mouth to my neck again. "Cacie," he murmured. "Just relax."

His fingers began to move back and forth inside me, and his thumb rubbed gently against my clit. I jerked, surprised, and slowly I released the handful of sheets I was clutching, lips parting of their own accord. Yanlil smiled and pushed a little deeper.

The feeling in my lower stomach and beneath Yanlil's fingers intensified, and it was harder and harder to keep from moaning as my back arched and I came, letting out a breath and a short, involuntary cry.

Yanlil pulled his fingers out and lifted his head to look at me. In spite of everything, my face got hot.

He grinned. "Ready for the real thing now?"

Breathing heavily, I didn't think, and just nodded.

Yanlil sat up and finished undoing the buckle on his pants, which I noticed had begun to bulge a bit. I swallowed, and reached down to pull my smallclothes all the way off.

In doing so, I was slightly alarmed to find everything completely wet down there, almost to the point of sopping. _That's normal, right? _

Yanlil carefully pushed my thighs further apart and situated himself, and I felt him start to go in.

I gasped. This was different than him putting fingers in. He was going deeper and abruptly, it began to hurt. "Ow," I whimpered. I squeezed my eyes shut. "Ow! It hurts!"

"Yes," Yanlil said. "You're all right. Cacie, look at me."

I opened my eyes, trying to keep tears from brimming up. He was still moving deeper, and I started shaking my head. "No, it doesn't – it doesn't – ow!"

"It's all right," he repeated. "Look me in the eyes."

I did. I had never taken note of his eye color before, but now found it to be a dark blue-green, like an ocean, and it was, again, strangely calming. Yanlil smiled. I gasped again as he kept pushing.

There was one last pang, and then abruptly it stopped, and he slid all the way in. I let out a sigh of relief as the pain faded out. His smile got bigger. "See? I told you you were all right."

Slowly, he began rocking back and forth, and instinctively I began moving my hips along with him, drawing short breaths.

I felt the heat begin to intensify again, and started trying to go faster, but Yanlil was slowing down, moving his hands beneath my blouse. "No rush," he said breathlessly, and started grazing around one of my nipples with the back of his fingernail.

My back was lifting off the bed again towards him, and I could feel myself beginning to sweat, but all I cared about was Yanlil's hands exploring the small area of my breasts.

Suddenly I wanted to touch him, and grabbed his shirt collar to pull him down closer. I tugged the cloth towards his head, and realizing what I wanted, he took his hands from beneath my shirt and pulled his own off, revealing the smooth, muscular chest he had underneath.

I ran my hands over each bump and ridge, and then reached over his shoulder to caress his shoulderblades. He bent closer, breath hot on my face, hands gently squeezing and massaging both breasts.

Finally he started to speed up, and before long we were in time with my heartbeat, in time with his heavy breathing. He looked me in the eyes again, and right at our climax I watched his eyes widen and his pupils dilate, showing nothing but pure ecstasy.

I let out my breath, and Yanlil rolled over to lay beside me, practically gasping for breath.

He turned his head and grinned at me. "Good?" he breathed out.

I didn't respond for a moment, trying to contemplate what it was that I had just done; I was shocked to find that only a small part of me felt some shame, and the rest was just marvelling at the fact that it had taken me this long to experience it. I turned to look at him and smiled, and then nodded my head.

"Yeah," I said. "Good."

* * *

**A/N: **So, er, yeah. I've never tried to write a scene like that before, soooo sorry if it's awkward. I've never had sex. So. Yeah.


	14. Chapter 14

Yanlil and I did it three more times that night before we finally both fell asleep, with me huddled against his bare chest and wrapped in his arms.

I slept surprisingly well, and when I woke up it was to the feeling of Yanlil pressing a nose into my hair. "Morning, beautiful," he murmured.

I only flushed a little bit as I turned over to look at him. He propped himself up on his elbows, sighing. "Come on," he said. "Time to get back to headquarters."

Yanlil got out of the bed and started looking around the room for his pants, as I reached over the side of the bed to grab my blouse and pull it over my head. I was reluctant, but knew I had to go back. Anyway, my dad was there, and –

I stopped, and clapped a hand over my mouth. _My dad. _

"Oh gods," I breathed, and Yanlil looked up from buckling his pants. I stared at him. "Wh-what am I going to say to my dad...we were gone all night…"

Yanlil blinked, and thought a moment. "Ah," he said.

I buried my face in my hands. "Nayru, I'm so stupid…" How could I have forgotten completely about my dad? I hadn't thought this through at all...to be fair, though, I wasn't doing a whole lot of thinking about anything last night…

Yanlil sighed, and I heard him walk towards me before he pulled my hands away from my face. "Stop," he said. "Don't worry so much. You will say...that you arrived very late, and then went out early this morning. That's all."

I shook my head. "What if he was up all night waiting for me?"

"He and Auru were very preoccupied when I left," he said. "I doubt he noticed much."

My stomach still felt sick, and I stared down. "What about you?" I asked, looking up. "What are you going to say?"

Yanlil smiled and leaned closer, reaching out to cup my cheek. "I will tell the truth, of course," he said, bringing his face close to mine. "I was fucking a beautiful girl."

Our lips brushed before he stood up, going to fetch his shirt.

* * *

My stomach churned all the way back through town, no matter how many times Yanlil told me that I would be fine. I had considered asking him if we could go back separately, but I was sure he would only think I was being silly. He really didn't seem worried at all; which was odd, since if my father ever _did _find out about what had happened last night, Yanlil would be in a whole lot more trouble than I would.

We came down the steps and around the corner just as my father and Auru were coming out of the bar. My heart leapt in my chest and my mind raced to come up with an explanation.

"Ah, Cacie, you're back," Dad said, patting my shoulder. "Good. Fetch your horse. We're out scouting today."

And then he moved right past me, saying nothing of my disappearance.

I let out my breath, heart still pounding. Yanlil put a hand on my shoulder. "I told you," he said. "Nothing to worry about."

We went to get the horses and set out with Auru and my father, with them in the lead and the two of us behind. Dad didn't even ask me once where I'd been or what I'd been doing. Like he'd barely even noticed I was gone. I should have been relieved, but…

But he had just arrived here...it was my first time seeing him in a week...I had been _sure _that he'd notice…

Evidently, as Yanlil had said, he'd been too busy talking with Auru. The two of them had become fast friends, it seemed, and continued chatting and laughing ahead of us.

Every so often, when my father wasn't looking, Yanlil liked to lean over and whisper something in my ear that would, without fail, bring a blush to my cheek. So much so that when my father turned around, he asked if I was feeling all right because my face was so red.

Auru and my father investigated some odd statues that were hovering around hidden in the area, while Yanlil and I mostly just lagged behind, almost like a third and fourth wheel. Of course, that was perfectly fine with Yanlil; he took the opportunity, several times, to lure me off my horse to some discreet area where a lot of violent kissing would occur before we'd wander back, with me trying to shake the flush out of my face before my father saw it.

We didn't get far that day, and it seemed that Auru and Dad hadn't succeeded in figuring anything out either. Ashei would be out at Snowpeak until late, so it was just the six of us once Telma closed the bar down for the night.

I sat down at the table beside my dad, who was studying a map. "So...what's your lead that you have, in the forest?" I asked.

Dad turned to look at me and smiled. "Just a few whispers here and there, but I believe the forest may contain a power that could be helpful to us. A power known as 'the bane of evil', in fact."

"That sounds good."

"Yes," Dad agreed. Then he looked at me again. "By the way, Cacie, have you been keeping up with your sword practice?"

"My –?" I blinked. "Oh. Yes, I suppose, if you call hunting down brigands 'practice'."

"Hm." Dad looked down at his map again. "I'll have to take you sparring again, sometime. You can't learn much by simply stabbing at Bokoblins."

Something in his tone felt belittling, and my shoulders slumped. "Yes," I said. "Okay."

He waved a hand at me. "Go on and get some rest, then. Could be another long day tomorrow."

I stayed put for a second, but Dad just kept looking down at the map, thumb stroking at his chin. Finally, I stood up and went back towards the tables, where I found Yanlil sitting and watching.

He looked between us for a moment, then rose, that insolent, knowing smirk finding its way onto his face. "Shall we?" he asked softly, with a short glance at the others.

I looked at my dad, totally oblivious.

_Why the hell shouldn't I?_

I grabbed his hand and we slipped out the door together.

* * *

It was several days later that Telma came to the back table to introduce us to 'a friend of hers'.

I wanted to bang my head against the table. Link was there in his usual strange green outfit, eyes flickering towards me uncertainly as Telma introduced him. He and Dad greeted each other, while Ashei and Shad mumbled some apologies since they had apparently made fun of him the last time he was here.

Yanlil didn't say anything. I think it had become fairly obvious to everyone except my father that we were sleeping together regularly; after all, it was hard to miss all the whispering and blushing and the way he sat so close to me whenever we talked at the table like this. Dad hadn't said anything about it, so I didn't think he really understood what was going on.

It was just as well, since I definitely didn't need him involved. I was perfectly capable of making these kinds of decisions without him.

Still, though, I was pretty sure that even Link was giving us some suspicious glances.

Much to my relief, Link wasn't going to be officially joining the resistance; he, as he put it, had "other matters to take care of", but he intended to act as an ally and would help us when we needed it. _Conceited shithead, _I thought, glaring at him.

Luckily, he didn't stay long, and was gone soon after he had been introduced. Once he'd left, Auru stood up. "We've had a few more reports of Bulbin clans out in the fields nearby," he said. "Shouldn't be too difficult. Any volunteers?"

"I'll go," I said right away, standing up.

Yanlil sighed, half-heartedly raising a hand. "I as well, then."

"Whatever," Ashei muttered. "I haven't seen Bulbin blood in a while."

I guess Dad had decided to stay put, because he only looked up and told me to be careful.

We took care of the Bulbins fairly quickly and easily, and on our way back, a flash of gray caught my eye. I stopped my horse and turned.

I was in time to see the wolf disappear around the corner, its big, bushy tail swinging. I blinked in surprise. I hadn't seen it since that night at the castle, and it wasn't carrying anything on its back this time. I looked back at the others. Yanlil was saying something to Auru, and Ashei wasn't paying any attention either.

I bit my lip. It couldn't hurt to see where it was going, right? Before anyone turned around and saw me, I had my horse trot after it, between the two tall cliffsides.

I spotted the gray and black again a few yards away, moving through the grass and bushes. Sliding down off of my horse I went towards it, hoping to coax it over to me, when something totally remarkable happened.

The wolf began to change shape entirely, and it happened so quickly that I wasn't even sure I'd really seen it. But there was no way to deny that one second, there had been a wolf standing there and now it was Link, shaking his head and shoving hair back from his eyes.

My hands clapped over my mouth, but I couldn't contain the squeak of surprise. Link whipped around, and his eyes got wide.

"Erm?" He swallowed. "Cacie? How long have you…"

I turned around and made a burst back towards my horse, head pounding as I tried to register what I had just seen. Link called after me. "Hey! _Cacie_! Wait!"

He barreled into me from behind, knocking me to the ground and grabbing hold of my wrists when I started swinging at him, pinning them both to either side of my head. I couldn't breathe. "Get off!" I shrieked, trying to kick at him. "Let go of me!" He gripped me tighter, trying to get a word in, but I had already opened my mouth to scream. "Hel –!"

He let go of my wrists and clamped a hand down over my mouth. "Cacie, stop!" he hissed. "Please calm down, okay?"

I finally managed to shove him off me and scrambled to my feet, backing a good distance away. "Wh-wh-what the fuck?" I gasped. "What are you?" I stared at him. "You...th-this whole time, you've been…"

He held both hands out, as if in defense. "Can you let me explain?"

"How do I know you won't _lie _to me again?" I shrieked. "What the hell are you? Are you even _human_?"

"Of course I am." He took a step towards me. "I understand that this may be slightly overwhelming, but I need you to not tell anyone about this, all right?"

"_Not tell anyone?_" I repeated. "You're a fucking _werewolf_!"

He rolled his eyes. "I am not a werewolf. Cacie, please." He took another step towards me, and I began to back away but he shot forward and grabbed hold of my arm, yanking me back. "You _can't tell anyone_. Please."

"Cacie?" Another voice was calling my name, and we both looked up. Yanlil was bringing his horse to a stop beside mine, leaping to the ground as he saw Link holding my arm. "Hey," he snarled, approaching and shoving Link backwards. "Get your hands off of her."

Link took several steps back, holding up both arms again. "I wasn't trying to hurt her," he said. "I swear."

"Like hell," Yanlil growled, putting an arm around my waist as he turned to me. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I…" I met Link's eyes, trailing off. They were that same clear blue, undoubtedly the same striking eyes of the gray wolf. _How did I not notice… _He was holding his breath, I could tell, pleading with me silently.

Finally, I broke my gaze and looked down. "I'm fine," I said. "It's...fine. Nothing really happened."

Link exhaled. Yanlil looked skeptical, giving one last look at Link before pulling me back towards the horses. "If you say so. Let's go."

He pulled me away, and I shot one more glance over my shoulder at Link before letting him.

* * *

Yanlil demanded to know what had happened, what he had said to me, but I kept insisting that it was nothing. _What's wrong with me? _I thought. _Why aren't I ratting him out?_

Maybe because now it was all making sense. The strange behavior of the wolf, the way it almost seemed to communicate with me and the way it had tried to prevent me from seeing that big black wall in Faron Woods. It explained why it appeared and disappeared so suddenly, why it was so peaceful and hadn't once lunged at anything except Bokoblins and Bulbins.

I couldn't help but feel slightly infuriated, though, knowing that the wolf I had defended and held in my arms had been Link this whole time. Still, I couldn't ignore the way he had begged me not to say anything. I didn't know enough to go telling the world anyway; first, I determined, I had to figure out what was _really _going on. Then I could decide what to do about this…

Yanlil was put out that I didn't tell him anything, but easily forgot about it when I suggested that we go spend the night at the inn. Despite my initial alarm, I felt strangely calm about this. There was no reason for me to seek Link out, I reasoned; he'd come to me.

Sure enough, he appeared at the bar the next morning, pale-faced as he greeted everyone. He caught my eye when Yanlil wasn't looking and motioned me towards the corner of the bar.

"I think we need to have a talk," he said, taking a deep breath.

I crossed my arms. "Yes. I think so too."

"Can you meet me at the drawbridge in an hour?"

I glanced back at the others. I could probably slip away, but… "Only if you promise to _really _explain everything," I hissed. "I want the full and complete truth. No lies this time."

Link swallowed, and looked reluctant, but he agreed. "No lies. It's a deal."


	15. Chapter 15

I slipped out of the bar an hour later, as planned, and went to the drawbridge to find Link already there waiting for me. He tried giving me a nervous smile, but it quickly vanished. "Okay," he said. "Do you mind if we go somewhere more private this time?"

I shook my head, and he motioned me to follow him. I did.

We wound up in the castle gardens, which were surprisingly deserted. I guess that in this time of chaos, no one really felt like sitting out and admiring the flowers. "So…" Link sat down against the wall, and after a moment, I sat down a good three feet away from him. He took his fifth deep breath of the day. "Just...give me a second here...I need to figure out where to start…"

"You might as well go all the way back to the beginning," I said. "To when you were supposed to leave for Hyrule. I assume it all started there, didn't it?"

"You're right," he admitted. "It did. Cacie...you've seen the black walls, with the golden symbols on them, haven't you?"

"Yes," I said. "You were there when I found that. Wolf-you, that is."

"Er…? Oh, yeah." I raised an eyebrow at the momentary hesitation, and he went on to explain. "Sorry. My wolf memories get a bit jumbled sometimes. It's hard to keep them straight."

"I see," I said. "Well, since you seem confused, I'll say what I think I've figured out, and you can tell me how much of it is right."

"Um, okay."

"So you went to the spring after Ilia, and I assume my brother went with you," I began. "We saw the gate had been broken down, so presumably, Bulbin riders came and attacked you. Is that right?"

He nodded. "Right."

"They got Ilia, and they got Colin," I continued. "But you…" I frowned. "You told me earlier that they got you as well, but that was a lie, wasn't it?"

"It...wasn't exactly a lie," he admitted. "I wasn't captured by Bulbin riders. I remember getting hit on the head and blacking out for a minute, but when I woke up I was alone in the spring. I think they must have missed me, somehow."

"So...you tried to go after them," I guessed.

Link nodded. "I ran across the bridge, and…"

"...the wall?"

"The wall," he confirmed.

I arranged myself into a cross-legged position. "Something about those walls disturbs me," I said. "The sky gets all weird behind them...and I guess whatever was behind that wall was what made you turn into a wolf."

Link grimaced. "This is where it gets complicated," he said. "Even I'm not sure I fully understand. Behind those walls are areas where all light has been removed. They're called Twilight Realms. Most people trapped inside a Twilight Realm turn into a kind of spirit, but when I got pulled through the wall...I turned into a wolf."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "I don't know exactly. It's because of some power passed through my family, or so I've been told. Has something to do with this." He pulled off his glove and showed me the triangle birthmark on the back of his hand.

I had a feeling he'd say something like that. "So you're...just special," I deadpanned.

"Yeah."

"You are so full of yourself."

"Look, do you want to hear this story or not?"

I huffed and crossed my arms. "Fine. So you transform into a wolf. Then what?"

"Then I got attacked by these huge, black demons, and everything turned black again," he said. "And when I woke up, I was here." He nodded back towards the castle.

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh?"

"Yeah. In the dungeons, that is. Still as a wolf." He sighed. "To make a long story short, I escaped the dungeons and found my way up to the tower, and met Princess Zelda. Well, not 'met', exactly. You know what I mean."

"Okay," I said, slowly. "You, as a wolf, walked into Princess Zelda's room?"

"She knew who I was," he explained. "Not my name, but that I was a human, and she explained some things to me about the Twilight Realm; like why I have to turn into an animal."

"Then…?"

"She helped me escape the castle altogether, and I made my way back to the woods."

So that would've been right around the time when… "You came up to me, in the forest."

He thought a second, and then nodded. "Yes, that's right. When you were crying."

"I wasn't crying!" I snapped back instantly.

He held up both hands in defense. "Okay, okay. I probably remembered wrong."

"Hmph." I unclenched my fists. "So, why did you feel it necessary to wander into the village?"

"I needed a weapon, for when I turned myself back into a human." He winced. "And, you're going to hate me for this…"

I blinked, confused for a moment, then realized what he was insinuating and my mouth dropped. "The ceremonial sword…"

"Yeah...sorry about that."

"Geez!" I raised my voice. "After I defied my own _father _to keep you from getting skinned alive?"

"Look, I'm sorry, but it had to be done." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I do remember that, though. I appreciate it. A lot."

I turned my face away. "I wouldn't have done it if I'd known it was you," I muttered.

"Okay, well, basically I went back through the wall, and restored light to the woods." He waved a hand when I opened my mouth to protest. "It was a really long, boring thing. Don't worry about it. Point is, when the twilight went away, I got to be a human again."

"And that's when you came back to Ordon?"

"No, that's when I went to Kakariko Village, where I found the kids."

"Wait a second." I stopped him. "Why the hell did you go there? Why not come back to Ordon first, at least? Especially since you weren't very far…"

"Well…" he scratched his head. "Let's just say...I had some other things to do. More black walls."

"After you found the kids, then...you came back to Ordon."

"Yes, just for a while. And after Kakariko, I came here."

I snapped my fingers. "_That's _why those walls were blocking the path into Hyrule…"

Link nodded. "And then they disappeared. That was me."

"Way to go, magnificent hero of ages." Puddles of sarcasm pooled at my feet.

"Look, that's not the point. Do you understand now?"

I leaned back against the wall. "Well, sort of. Your stupid story has a lot of holes. You promised me the whole truth, remember?"

"The whole truth would take hours," he said. "Trust me. That's all you really need to know."

"Oh really?" I crossed my arms again. "In that case, I see no reason why I should keep your secret."

His head snapped around to look at me. "What?"

"I mean, it doesn't seem like _that _big a deal." I examined my nails. "I think you should try again, Link, and this time, try to convince me why I _shouldn't_ go telling everyone that you can turn into a wolf."

"Because everyone would be terrified! I'd be killed!"

"I said to convince me _not _to tell everyone. You're making it sound pretty good to me."

"Ugh…" Link buried his face in his hands for a second, then looked up. "Come on, Cacie, do you really hate me that much?"

I snorted. "Do you even need to _ask_?" I stood up. "Unless you give me a good reason not to tell within the next ten seconds, I'm leaving."

Link's jaw set and he stood as well, fists clenching at his sides. "Fine," he said, much to my surprise. "Go ahead. Tell everyone." He waved me towards the castle door. "Do it. I dare you."

I flinched, and stared at him. He shook his head. "You don't have the guts, Cacie. You don't _really _want me dead."

"You're wrong. I couldn't care less if you were eaten by cannibals." I whipped around. "Especially since you still didn't manage to keep your promise. Maybe I'll tell. Maybe I won't. Either way, you are, and you will always be, _the absolute worst person that I have ever met._" Without turning around, I lifted a hand in farewell. "See ya, wolfie."

* * *

I debated back and forth for a long, long time, but in the end, didn't say anything.

I hated myself for it, and told myself that I shouldn't be showing that asshole any sort of compassion, but even if I did hate him, maybe spreading rumors that he was a monster and getting him lynched was a little extreme. Even I could admit that.

I'd let him sweat about it, though. That at least gave me some satisfaction.

"Hey," Yanlil said when I walked back in the door. "Where've you been?" He motioned me towards the back table, where everyone was seated, looking at me.

Frowning, I moved slowly to sit down. "Did...something happen?"

"I've been making progress in my research," Auru said. "About the mirror, in the Gerudo Desert. The young man from the other day, Link, has agreed to go there to take a look around."

_Of course he did. _"Why don't we just all go?" I asked. "Or why don't we at least send someone who's actually _in _the resistance…"

"Getting to Gerudo Desert is no easy feat," Shad explained. "We think it would be best for a small group; and since Link happens to be very adept, we agreed that it would be a good idea."

I ground my teeth together, but what Auru said next made every organ in my body rage and boil in anger. "But you are right, Cacie. We want someone from the resistance to go as well. That's why we're having you go with him."

I jumped up. "_No_!"

Yanlil leaned back. "I told you she wouldn't do it," he muttered.

"I will _not _work with him." I snarled. "I'd rather shove _spiders _in my ears."

"Cacie," my dad said, sternly. "I know you and Link have your differences, but seeing as you know each other well, we think you would work best together."

"Are you kidding?" I scowled. "The only thing I _know _about him is that I _hate _him." _And also that he can turn himself into a wolf…_

"The experience will be good for you," my dad argued. "You'll be in capable hands. Link can protect you, and you can learn from him."

"I am not a child!" I was shouting now, totally unable to help myself and giving my father a startlingly deadly stare. "I'm eighteen! I don't need someone around to protect me all the time! Why can't you understand that?"

Dad looked bewildered, and Auru stood up. "Perhaps we all need time to think this over," he said, calm as ever. "Link doesn't plan to leave for another few days." He looked at me pointedly. "But I would like you to go."

I sat down, head pounding from my outburst, and looked at the table with my face flushed. I avoided my father's gaze.

Yanlil touched my shoulder, and when I looked at him, he had an eyebrow raised. I swallowed. He was going to ask what had been up with that later. He knew my dad and I had problems, but...

Dad said nothing to me, and didn't for the rest of the night.

* * *

Link came by again the next day, but it was mostly to talk to Auru. I half wanted to listen in and see what they were talking about, but didn't, since I didn't think I could get close enough to eavesdrop without them noticing.

Anyway, I had bigger problems. Dad still hadn't said a word to me since my outburst the other night, and I was beginning to feel so sick to my stomach about it that I was shoving Yanlil away from me when he tried to flirt. I tried to apologize, but he just gave me a stern look.

"You said what you needed to say," he told me. "If you're worried, go and talk to him, calmly."

I shook my head. "He seems...angry at me…"

"Why would he be angry?" Yanlil frowned. "I am sure he is only brooding. What you said is very true, Cacie. You are not a child, and even in the short time you've been with us you've proven that you can handle yourself well. If your father cannot see that, then he ought to open his eyes a little wider."

I smiled at him, then quickly kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

"Also," he murmured quietly, leaning in closer to my ear. "You've gotten _very _good in bed over the past week."

I pushed him, playfully this time, but I was getting used to him whispering vulgar things in my ear. I hardly even blushed at them anymore; to that, of course, Yanlil just said he'd have to find some other way to make me turn red.

From the corner of my eye, I felt someone looking at me, and turned to see that Auru and Link had both stopped and were trying to catch my eye to motion me over. I frowned, but reluctantly got up and moved slowly over to the table. "Is this about…?"

"It is," Auru admitted. "I really would like it if you would go with Link. As a member of this group, it is important for you to have experience dealing with monsters and otherworldly powers."

"And…" Link spoke suddenly. "I'd...also like it if you came with me."

I turned to him and was too surprised to even glare. "What? Why?"

He shrugged. "I'm pretty used to travelling by myself, at this point. It'll be nice to have someone along to help me out."

"So I'm just good for keeping you company, is that it?"

"No, that's not what I –"

"Look, just forget it," I interrupted. "Find someone else to go with you. If you want company, go get a dog." Then, I turned to face him directly. "You know an awful lot about _dogs _anyway, don't you, Link?"

He swallowed. "Hey, come on. Going out to the desert alone is dangerous, okay? Come with me."

"Yeah, right, like the great and epic hero Link needs _me _to protect him," I scoffed.

Link and Auru exchanged a glance, and Auru sighed. "I see you're not willing to be moved on this," Auru said.

I crossed my arms. "No. Give me another assignment. I can do anything else. Just not this."

"Very well," Auru said, and Link began to protest, but Auru held up a hand to silence him. "However, if you were to change your mind in the next two days…"

"I won't change my mind."

"...but if you were, you would only need to speak with me or Link."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."


	16. Chapter 16

I was seriously pissed off. They wouldn't let it go.

Link left after our conversation, but for the rest of that day Auru kept dropping not-so-subtle hints that he was still hoping I'd change my mind. I wasn't going to change my mind. There was just no way I was spending an indeterminate amount of time with that self-glorifying dick.

I didn't understand why they wanted _me _to go so badly, anyway. Even I had to admit that I wasn't nearly as experienced as Ashei or Yanlil, both of whom would be way more qualified to trek through the desert and brave some ancient ruins. It really wasn't practical to choose me, of all people…

Anyway, that night, I worked up the nerve to talk to my dad again, and approached the seat he had taken, where he was studying a book. "Um, Dad…"

He looked up, and I swallowed. "Look, I, um...I wanted to say…"

"I'm glad you're here," he interrupted me, and gestured to the seat across from him. "Come and sit down."

_Uh-oh. _"Come and sit down" was typically what I heard right before a long lecture. I slowly sat in the chair. He closed his book and leaned back.

"I...have been thinking about what you said the other night," he remarked.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have –"

He held up a hand. "I noticed that what you said sounded very...rehearsed."

I blinked in surprise. "Rehearsed? I don't…"

"Have you wanted to say that for a long time?" he asked.

"I…" I frowned. Was he right? Had I rehearsed that? I suppose I had, in my head, every time I felt underappreciated or overshadowed… "Yes," I said finally. "It's something that I think about a lot these days. I…" _Might as well get it all out… _"I feel like you don't give me any credit, because I'm...well, I'm…"

"...a woman," he finished.

I nodded. "Yes."

"I see." Dad looked thoughtful, frowning down at the wood on the table.

"And…" The next thing was risky, but I was already toeing the line here, so… "I also think that you...you…"

"Yes?"

"It's just that, sometimes, the way you act around Link makes me think that you wish he was your son in place of me...or, at least, that you wish I had been born a boy." I flushed, hunching my shoulders.

Dad was silent for several long moments, and when he did speak, it was in a very low voice. "Cacie," he said. "I am shocked that you would think that."

"But...you can see why I would…" I looked up. "Can't you?"

His expression was hard to read, but he slowly nodded. "Yes, I...I suppose I do treat Link as a son, in a way. But I would never wish for him to replace you, or Colin, for that matter. You are my children. Nothing can change that."

I exhaled, shoulders dropping, and the sick feeling in my stomach began to go away. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have assumed something like that."

"It's all right." Dad gave me a very small smile. "You have a point, Cacie. Perhaps I have been underestimating you lately."

The words felt so good to hear, it was like a wave of warm water washing over my head. "Thank you," I breathed.

"I hope that we will have no more of these thoughts?"

I nodded. "Okay. No more." I started to get up, but then paused, with something still nagging at me. "Erm, but Dad...since I'm telling you all this, I should probably say as well, that…" I looked at him and faltered, cheeks turning red. "Well, that is, you didn't seem to notice…"

"Notice?" he repeated. "Notice what?" He raised an eyebrow. "You mean your boyfriend?"

My head snapped up. "Y-you know?"

Dad snorted. "Cacie, you must think I pay no attention to you at all. You think I can't tell when my own daughter is flirting excessively with another man?"

I stammered. "B-b-but you didn't say –!"

"I thought you'd be embarrassed," he said. "It's a lot more obvious than you think, you know. You disappear almost every night."

I felt my face go even more scarlet. "Wha...you mean you're actually okay with…?"

Dad took breath. "It is not my place to dictate what you do, but...I can give you my approval in this case. Link is, of course, an excellent choice, and –"

"_What_?" My entire body went rigid. "Wh-_what _did you just say?"

Dad blinked. "I was only remarking that you and Link are –"

"_Link_?" My fists were shaking. "How could you – you think that – _you think I've been seeing _Link _all this time?_"

He looked confused. "You're not?"

"For the love of _Eldin_!" I whirled around. "I can't _believe _this!"

"Wait, Cacie!" I heard Dad stand up. "If it's not Link, then who is it?"

"Just forget it!" I slammed the door to the bar and stomped all the way up the stairs, trying to keep my head from exploding in fury at the mere _thought _my father had just suggested.

* * *

I went out on my horse by myself early that morning, even before Yanlil was up, and started looking for some stray Bokoblins to kill.

I went all the way down to Lake Hylia, wandering around the edge of the lake for a while before I saw something black and gray move through some grass up on one of the little hills.

My jaw clenched, and I turned my horse around to go, but then heard my name called. "Cacie!"

I turned. Where I'd seen the spot of gray before, Link was now standing. I frowned and started to turn away, but he called to me again. "Cacie, wait up!"

_What does he want now? _With a heavy sigh, I turned my horse around and waited for him to hop down and come towards me. "What?"

"I want a word with you about this Gerudo Desert thing," he said.

_Yeah, I figured. _I turned back. "I already told you, I'm not going."

"I know you did, but…" He started walking alongside my horse. "I wanted to talk to you a little more."

"Why? Why do you want me to go with you so badly?" I glared down at him.

"I didn't want to say it in front of Auru. You know about my...situation." He swallowed. "You're the only one who knows, and Auru doesn't want me to go alone, so...it's convenient to bring you, since I don't have to hide my power from you."

"Oh, so _that's _it." At least that made some kind of sense. "Great. Look, you don't actually _need _me, right?"

He sighed. "That isn't the point…"

"So you don't."

"I don't know what I will or won't need, okay?" he said. "There's no telling what could be out there. Like I said, Auru doesn't want me out there by myself…"

"Well, at least you've got an actual reason this time," I muttered. I sighed. "I still don't think…"

"Is this really just because you hate me?"

I looked down at him in surprise. "Huh? Er…"

He was frowning. "You know, I've never understood what I did to make you despise me so much…"

I faced forward. "You wouldn't get it."

He let out a heavy breath. "Well, I don't care what you say. I think of you as a friend."

"_Excuse _me?" I whipped around to face him. "We are not friends, wolf boy. We are not even remotely close to becoming friends."

"But why?"

"You just...rub me the wrong way, okay? Get out of my face."

"Cacie." He stepped in front of my horse before I could spur her onwards.

I growled. "Out of my way before I trample you."

"Come with me." He stared up at me steadily. "Please."

I felt a vehement rejection begin to work its way out of my throat, but I stopped it. The look on his face was...it was sort of…

I broke my gaze and huffed. "I'll think about it," I muttered. He smiled, and gripping my reins tighter, I maneuvered around him. "Now leave me alone."

* * *

After all that show and resistance, it was embarrassing that I found myself actually considering going with him. It was stupid, after all. I'd probably kill the guy before we could get anything accomplished. The only reason he wanted _me _to go with him, after all, was for convenience's sake, so he could turn himself into a wolf whenever he wanted. Which was understandable as a concrete reason, but still annoying and made me feel rather useless.

On the other hand, I suppose I didn't find Wolf Link nearly as infuriating as Human Link. Maybe there was a way to make him have to stay as a wolf once he'd turned into one…

Now that was an idea. Enough of an idea to make me want to think about it some more.

I shook my head. Now, wait a minute. Maybe that was just a little bit mean? Kinda? Even if it wasn't, it was still not a decisive reason to make me want to go all the way out to Gerudo Desert…

Why was this so hard? Why had I told Link I would think about it when I really, _really _didn't want to go?

That night, as Yanlil and I were laying in bed beside one another trying to catch our breath, I turned my head and asked him what he would think if I went to the desert after all.

He looked at me and blinked in confusion. "I thought you didn't want to go."

"I'm reconsidering, I guess…"

"Why?"

"I don't know…" I stared at the creamy white ceiling of the inn, blotched with water stains. "I suppose I feel petty for refusing to go just because I don't like Link…"

"Hmm…" Yanlil propped himself up onto his elbows. I turned onto my side and watched his expression. "How long do you think you will be gone?" he asked finally.

"I can't say," I admitted. "Could be as long as a week."

"A week is a long time," he murmured, but then shook his head. "But that is beside the point. The fact of the matter is that you do have some skills, but your field experience is very minimal. Auru probably intends to remedy this by sending you on this assignment."

"I know that." I sighed. "But...you know, Link and I used to work at a ranch together, back before all this happened. I had a hard time dealing with him even then. I can't imagine what it'll be like if I have to travel across a desert with him...I think we'll be at each other's throats."

Yanlil chuckled a bit, and I pushed myself up a bit, frowning. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," he remarked. "You've just shown me that I've no need to worry about Link stealing you away from me."

"Not a chance," I promised. Yanlil grinned, sliding a hand up my thigh, then rolled back over on top of me to fuck me again.

* * *

"Fine," I told Auru the next morning. "You win. I'll go."

Auru looked up and raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. "Oh?"

"Yes," I muttered.

"What caused this sudden change of heart?"

"I…" I flushed, looking to the side. "Does it matter? I just thought about it. You got your way, so you should be happy now."

He smiled faintly. "I will let Link know. Tomorrow morning, you'll meet him down at Lake Hylia. Be sure you pack everything you will need."

I nodded. "Okay. Fine."

* * *

As promised, I packed all my things that night and was ready to leave by morning. Yanlil was waiting for me just outside the bar, and before I could say anything, he grabbed me and pushed me against the wall, then met his lips with mine.

He pushed his tongue against my teeth and slid a hand beneath my shirt to give my right breast a squeeze before he stepped back. "Come back alive," he grunted, before turning around to go back inside the bar.

I smiled after him.

* * *

I met Link down at Lake Hylia and before he could say anything, held up a hand. "Let me just get one thing straight," I said. "You and I are not friends. We will never be friends. This is no different from when we used to work at the ranch together, yeah? It's just a little more dangerous than usual." I jabbed a finger at his chest. "And that's all we are. Coworkers. Not friends. Not even acquaintances. Coworkers. Understand?"

He nodded, swallowing, and his expression was unreadable, but I didn't really care how he felt about that. I turned around and looked up towards the direction of Gerudo Desert. "So then," I said. "How do you propose we get there?"


	17. Chapter 17

After a great number of shenanigans involving a discontented clown and a giant cannon, Link and I ended up in the Gerudo Desert, somehow. I wasn't entirely sure what had happened, since it had all been very quick and successive, and the next thing I knew I was lying in scorching sand, with Link leaning over me and asking if I was okay.

I picked myself up and dusted myself off, shaking my head to try and regain my senses. "Fine," I said, and stared at a vast expanse of sand. There were some ruins in the distance. And there was _a lot _of distance. I sighed heavily. "Too bad we couldn't bring the horses, though…"

Link squinted. "That should take us...two days, maybe."

"Ugh."

He started past me. "Might as well get going."

I went after him, trying not to drag my feet. "Hey," I said, "You know that night when it was raining, and you came up to me as a wolf?"

He turned around to look. "Um...that would be…"

"You were carrying that...thing on your back."

"You mean…?" His eyes lit up. "Oh, that."

"What _was _that thing? It could talk."

"Yeah…" He turned back, rubbing his neck. "I didn't introduce you to her before, because I thought it was complicated enough without her, but…"

"'Her'?"

He stopped. "Yeah…" I noticed him glancing down at the ground, and looking over his shoulder, he said, "Why don't you come on out, Midna?"

Something on the ground flickered, and when I looked I realized that it was his shadow shifting and moving, and then suddenly it jumped right out of the ground and spun in a circle, coming around as a tiny imp.

It was definitely the same thing I had seen riding on Link's back, but it wasn't as pale this time. Its eyes were round and orange, as well as the hair sticking out of the back of its stone headdress. "Hi," it said. "Nice to meet you, I guess."

My mouth fell open. "Er…"

"This is Midna," Link explained. "She's my…"

He trailed off and couldn't seem to think of a word for her. She waved a small, petite hand. "Whatever. This is the Cassie girl?"

"Cacie," I corrected, frowning.

Midna sighed noisily. "I suppose I should thank you for helping us get into the castle that one time," she said. "That was uncharacteristically nice of you."

"What?"

"Er…" Link quickly tried to jump in. "Don't mind her. Sometimes she doesn't realize when she's being rude."

"Oh, yeah," Midna muttered. "Because this girl is just _so _polite."

"I'm sorry," I said, clenching my jaw. "What exactly _are _you?"

"You remember those monsters I was telling you about, the ones that were behind the black walls?" Link asked. "Midna is like them. She lives in the Twilight Realms."

Midna snorted in annoyance. "Don't compare me to those things," she muttered. "I'm nothing like them. I might be a Twili, but I certainly don't bow down to whoever struts my way claiming to be a king."

"Right," Link said.

"Are we done here?"

He sighed. "Midna, you could at least –"

Before he could finish, she had disappeared back into the ground, blending in with his shadow. Link rolled his eyes. "She's not always very friendly."

He turned around to start walking again, and I started after him. "So...am I to take it that this usurper person is one of the Twilight creatures?"

"Yeah," Link confirmed. "That's right."

"And so how did you and her...meet?"

"Well…" He thought a second. "She was the one who helped me escape the dungeon, after I first became a wolf. She just kind of showed up, and she's been sticking with me ever since."

"I assume she has something to do with you turning into the wolf…"

"She helps out with that, yeah."

I let out a huff of air. _So if he's got her, then what the hell does he need me here for? _"She seems like a real charmer," I muttered.

* * *

We trekked across the desert all day, and still the ruins in the distance didn't seem to get any closer. The piles of sand became hard to walk on after a while, considering that it filled my shoes and blew into my eyes and my hair. Link didn't even seem tired, though, forging onward, so I didn't let on.

Most of the time, I tried to think of ways I could trick Link into turning into a wolf, and then considered how I'd be able to make him stay that way so I wouldn't have to look at his stupid face so often.

By the time it started getting dark, the sand felt less like hot coals and began feeling cool through the soles of my shoes. Link decided to stop around sunset so we could both rest and eat and whatnot.

There wasn't too much talking between us. Whenever he said anything to me I tried to give as curt an answer as possible to avoid further conversation. Still though, I had to admit that Link seemed a lot like a different person than he was back in Ordon. He was definitely more focused, and assuming that all this talk of running around saving the land from Twilight Realms was true, I had to wonder how he had managed all that when he couldn't even remember to feed the damn horses back home.

As he was rummaging through his bag I found myself watching him as I contemplated it. I mean sure, the whole being able to change into a wolf thing probably made him feel sort of obligated to do something about the Twilight Realms, but was he seriously _doing _all this? The Link _I _remembered was apathetic about doing work, yet he had been totally tireless and raring to go all day…

Finally he looked up, and caught me staring. "What?"

"I'm just trying to figure it out," I muttered.

"Figure what out?"

"Why you're doing these things." I frowned at him. "How can you be some hero of legend? How can you be running around saving the world and whatnot when not that long ago the only thing you were good for was daydreaming?"

He blinked. "A lot's happened since then," he said. "I didn't really have a choice…"

"Yeah, but there has to be another reason." I shook my head. "You really want me to believe that you've been putting up with all this shit just out of the goodness of your heart?"

"Well…"

I kept going. "I mean, it's one thing to want to help out, okay? That's what I'm doing, after all, so I get that. But from the sound of it, you're doing so _much_. I guess I really just don't understand _why_. It's not characteristic of you."

Link was silent for a second, and then he let out a sigh. "Cacie, I guess you don't really know me that well," he remarked. "I just can't say no. When someone asks me for help, I want to help. I like to help people." He shrugged. "But you are right. There is another reason, besides all that."

"Well _what is it_?" I exploded. "I can't figure it out!"

He smiled a bit. "Same reason most guys do anything, I suppose," he said. "I'm trying to impress a girl."

_Oh, Ilia. I should've known. _I relaxed my shoulders, and rolled my eyes. "Barf. Go no further." I shook my head, falling back against the sand, not caring how much of it got in my hair. "Not sure why you think you need to impress her, though."

"Huh?"

"Literally every person in the village knows that Ilia has a crush on you," I said bluntly. "It's so painfully obvious. There's no reason for you to go to all this trouble just to impress _her_. She'd be impressed by watching you put on a shoe."

Link was silent for a moment, and I stared up at the stars beginning to appear in the sky. It was totally true. Ilia may as well have tattooed the fact on her face, it was so…

Link interrupted my thoughts. "Maybe you're right about that," he said, quietly. "But...Ilia's not the girl I'm trying to impress."

I frowned, brow pulling downwards in confusion. Who the hell was he talking about then? Surely not that little imp he had hiding in his shadow? Or maybe he was hopelessly pining after Princess Zelda? I sat up to give him a puzzled stare, but then realized that both of his cheeks had begun to turn red. _Wait a second…?_

Suddenly, it dawned on me.

"Wh-what do you mean?" I demanded. "Why would you…" My heart was pounding. "You're joking, right?"

"I'm not joking," he said, looking at me, and then he said it again. "Ilia's not the girl I'm trying to impress."

"What are you saying?" I started shaking my head slowly. "Why would you say something stupid like that?"

He looked away. "You really want me to spell it out?"

"No!" I jumped to my feet. "Shut up! Just shut up, you idiot! Y-you can't…!" My chest felt tight in disbelief. This had to be a joke or something. He was lying. Why…?

Link rested a hand on his fist. "You're the idiot, though," he said. "I thought you already knew."

"I don't...!" I shook my head faster. "Stop joking around! This isn't funny!"

"I'm not joking around!" he insisted, and stood up. "I've come this far, so I might as well just say it. Cacie, I –"

"_No_!" I waved my hands at him, and then clapped them over my ears. "I said to stop it! Just stop it!"

"Cacie?"

"What the fuck is the matter with you?" I shrieked, throwing my hands up. "How can you…? I _hate _your fucking _guts_!"

"I know that..."

"I'm not nice to you!" I continued. "I throw things at you! I threaten to kill you on a daily basis! You're not making any _sense_!"

"I _know_!" his voice rose, and he clenched his fists. "I don't get it either, but I can't deny it. Cacie, don't you know the _reason _I started working at the ranch? It was because _you already worked there_."

"What…? We didn't even know each other back then..."

"You never even seemed to notice me. I thought if we worked together, you would."

"But wait…" I put both hands to my head. "You started working there with me what, three years ago?"

"That's right."

"So all this time…?" My eyes widened.

"I guess you started to dislike me because I was always messing stuff up, and I couldn't do anything right," he went on. "But the reason I couldn't do anything right was because I had to be around _you _all the time. Are you getting it now?"

My mind was racing backwards in time, remembering every instance where Link had screwed something up or dropped something important or bumped into me and knocked a bunch of shit onto the floor. I was beginning to compare the bumbling mess I knew from the ranch with the Link I was seeing today.

"Why would you tell me this now?" I asked. "How could you…? This is so…!" Full sentences just wouldn't come out of my mouth. I realized that my face felt hot, and my hands clenched into fists. "This is why...this is why you made me come with you, isn't it?"

He hunched his shoulders, looking abashed. "Well, sorta."

"For the love of Faron…!" I whipped around, trying to make sense of all this. "I don't even know...!"

I heard him sigh behind me. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have told you so suddenly…"

"You're damn right!" I turned back.

His face was still kind of red, but he started shaking his head. "Okay, okay. We can just forget about it, all right?"

"Oh, yeah, let me just _forget _the most absurd thing I've ever heard," I snapped. "I cannot _believe _you. You are such a _fucking _idiot."

"Believe me," he said. "I know perfectly well how crazy it is, but I swear it's true."

"Why are you telling me this now, anyway?"

"Because…" He shook his head. "Because, I...I thought I was about to lose my chance…" He put a hand to his forehead. "There was that guy in the Hyrule Resistance, the one that you were sitting close to…"

"Yanlil?" I blinked.

"I wanted to tell you before anything happened there, I guess…"

"You're too late," I said.

"What?"

"You're _way _too late."

"You mean…"

"Yeah, I've been fucking him. For almost two weeks now." I waved a hand. "Even if I wasn't, you really thought that if you _told _me it would stop me from pursuing other men?"

"I mean, no, but…" He trailed off for a second, brow furrowed. "Wait, so you've been _sleeping_ with that guy?"

There was the sound of a horn somewhere startlingly nearby, and we both looked up. "Shit," I muttered. "That sounds like Bulbins."

"It is," Link said, pointing over my shoulder. "A lot of them."

I turned, and sure enough, a whole mess of Bulbin riders were headed our way, and they were only seconds away from reaching us. Link and I both started the other direction to run, only to see more of them appear over the nearest sand dune. The steps of the bull thundered close behind me, and I had only just realized that there was no way to run before something whacked me on the back of the head and knocked me out cold.


End file.
